pin-tailed

[pin-teyld]

adjective

Ornithology.

1. having a tapered tail with long, pointed central feathers.

2. having the feathers of the tail stiff, narrow, and pointed.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pin-tailed¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Native reptiles and birds, including the Be’er Sheva fringe-fingered lizard, the pin-tailed sandgrouse and the spectacled warbler, are now fall easy prey for crows and jays perched in the tree branches.

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The pin-tailed whydah is a spectacular little bird.

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People buy pin-tailed whydahs as pets.

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The pin-tailed whydah is one out of only about 100 parasites of the 10,000 bird species in the world.

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During the mating season, a male pin-tailed whydah grows a plume of black feathers twice as long as his body.

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