Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

tail covert

American  

noun

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


tail covert British  

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of tail covert

First recorded in 1805–15