wildfowl

American  

[wahyld-foul] / ˈwaɪldˌfaʊl /

noun

1. a game bird, especially a wild duck, goose, or swan.

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wildfowl British  

/ ˈwaɪldˌfaʊl /

noun

1. any bird that is hunted by man, esp any duck or similar aquatic bird

2. such birds collectively

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Other Word Forms

• wildfowler noun
• wildfowling adjective

Etymology

Origin of wildfowl

before 1000; Middle English wilde foul, Old English wildefugl. See wild, fowl

Example Sentences

It has the largest tidal reedbed in England and wildfowl and waders feed and nest in the six shallow lagoons, marshland and mudflats.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

The 64-year-old has a particular penchant for wildfowl shooting in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

Jim Edwards told the Toronto paper that his father had 20/20 eyesight and had been a crack marksman as a youth when he used to shoot duck and other wildfowl on the prairies of Saskatchewan.

From Washington Post • May 21, 2022

Bones of turtle, wildfowl and deer bones indicate good eating.

From Washington Times • Aug. 22, 2020

Then, as the approaching dawn set the wildfowl in motion, the half-lit skies were serried with hurrying files, and the cold air resounded with the cries of the various ducks and geese.

From Wild Spain (Espa?a agreste) Records of Sport with Rifle, Rod, and Gun, Natural History Exploration by Buck, Walter J.