rifle bird

or ri·fle·bird

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noun

any of several birds of paradise of Australia, having a long bill, dark plumage, and elaborate courtship displays.

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Origin of rifle bird

First recorded in 1825–35

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

British Dictionary definitions for rifle bird

riflebird

/ (ˈraɪfəlˌbɜːd) /

noun

any of various birds of paradise of the genera Ptiloris and Craspedophora, such as C. magnifica (magnificent riflebird)

Word Origin for riflebird

from its call, compared to a whistling bullet

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012