Can a bat be a bird?

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In highland mongolia a defining characteristic of birds is flight and bats are considered birds whilst dodos arn't. What does this mean for you? If a member of a tribe of 5 people describes a dolphin as a fish is he wrong or has the term fish aquired a new ethno variant? What if a western child does this? Does the word bird in fact have to be translated differently with a long list of specific exclusions?