Join In
Twitter
YouTube
Weekly Newsletter
Libraries
A-Z Grammatical Terms
A-Z Confused Words
A-Z Awkward Plurals
Punctuation Lessons
Common Mistakes
(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
A Bird in the Hand Is Worth Two in the Bush (Origin)
What Is the Origin of the Saying "A Bird in the Hand Is Worth Two in the Bush"?
The term "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" means having something certain is better than taking a risk for more. In other words, it means it's better to hold onto what you have rather than running the risk of attaining something better, which could lead to getting nothing.The proverb comes from the sport of falconry, where "a bird in the hand" (i.e., the falcon) was to be more valued than two or more birds flying freely (i.e., the prey). More specifically, the proverb states that you should not risk losing your falcon for mere prey birds. In essence, it advises not to release your falcon under risky conditions.
Here are two early versions of the proverb:
- "It is more sekyr [certain] a byrd in your fest, than to haue three in the sky a-boue." (AD 1450)
- "Better one byrde in hande than ten in the wood. (AD 1546)

Previous and Next Sayings
Test Your Knowledge of English Proverbs and Idioms
Ready for the Test?
More Proverbs, Sayings, and Idioms
Help Us Improve Grammar Monster
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
Find Us Quicker!
- When using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing), you will find Grammar Monster quicker if you add #gm to your search term.
Next lesson >