boat-tailed grackle

[ boht-teyld ]

noun

1. a large grackle, Quiscalus major, of the southeastern U.S., that folds its tail into a shape resembling the keel of a boat.

Word History and Origins

Origin of boat-tailed grackle¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Example Sentences

This subspecies of Boat-tailed Grackle has been recorded from several localities in Coahuila.

From Project Gutenberg

In the south it is exceeded in size only by the Boat-tailed Grackle.

From Project Gutenberg