A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Russian translation

Птица в руке стоит двух в кустах.
Не стоит пренебрегать реальным, верным делом (перспективой) ради нереальных замыслов (мечтаний).

Derivation

A bird in the hand. A bird in the bush.

Variants

A bird in the hand is worth two in the wood.

Synonyms

A gift in the hand is better than two promises.
A pound in the purse is worth two in the book.
Better an egg today, than a hen tomorrow.

Comparison

Не сули журавля в небе, а дай синицу в руки.
Лучше голубь в тарелке, чем глухарь на току.

Examples

"Well, it's about time you were stiring yourself. You can't stop at home for ever." "But I don't like Musgrave... There's nothing wrong with him. He's a nice lad. Only I just don't want to court him, that's all." "A bird in the hand's worth two in the bush," Aunt Daisy said. "If you are waiting for Prince Charming to ride up on a white horse you'll be at home when you're seventy." (Barstow)

In her third year high she found a job in a small but expanding restaurant, where she cashiered from the busy hour until closing. In her last year high the business increased so rapidly that Lottie was faced with the choise of staying in school or working fulltime. She made her choise easily. A job in hand was worth two in the future. (West)

Soames doggedly let the spring come - no easy task for one conscious that time was flying, his birds in the bush no nearer the hand, no issue from the web anywhere visible. (Galsworthy)

Harry was a crook, but we were and still are fond of him. But for Martha to do a thing like that would be unthinkable. Unthinkable. Not very practical either. "Oh, I don't know," said Abraham Lockwood. "The bird in the hand? No, Locky. There may be more than two birds in that bush. What I'm implying is that she may stand to get more than twice two hundred thousand, eventually." (O'Hara)