call bird

call bird (plural call birds)

1. A captive bird used by hunters to lure free-flying birds into a snare or trap.
2. (figurative, by extension) Anything desirable used to lure somebody.
   • 1983, David Mellor, Report to the Design Council on the Design of British Consumer Goods, page 21:

     An example is the 'Kenwood Chef', a product which is so well known to the public that it is used as a 'call bird' by the discounters: the machine is given a conspicuous place in the shop [window]

• birdcall