tail covert

American  

noun

1. any of the feathers concealing the bases of a bird's tail feathers.

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tail covert British  

noun

1. any of the covert feathers of a bird covering the bases of the tail feathers

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Etymology

Origin of tail covert

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

This bird has a normal tail, and is not to be confused with the Yokohama or Phoenix chicken of which there is a specimen in the Tokyo museum with a tail covert length of 17 ft.

From Time Magazine Archive