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That part of a bird, or the feathers, surrounding the cloacal opening; the under tail coverts.

fallacious dilemma, mythically supposed to have been first used by a crocodile. Crocodile bird (Zoöl.), an African plover (Pluvianus ægypticus) which alights upon the crocodile and devours its insect parasites, even entering its open mouth (according to reliable writers) in pursuit of files, etc.; -- called also Nile b…

The pouchlike enlargement of the gullet of birds, serving as a receptacle for food; the craw.

A bird of the genus Loxia, allied to the finches. Their mandibles are strongly curved and cross each other; the crossbeak.

A bird, usually black, of the genus Corvus, having a strong conical beak, with projecting bristles. It has a harsh, croaking note. See Caw.

Same as Bird's-mouth. [U.S.]

The topmost part of the head (see Illust. of Bird.); that part of the head from which the hair descends toward the sides and back; also, the head or brain. From toe to crown he'll fill our skin with pinches. Shak. Twenty things which I set down: This done, I twenty more-had in my crown. Bunyan.

A mucilagenous secretion of certain birds found as the characteristic ingredient of edible bird's-nests.

A bird belonging to Cuculus, Coccyzus, and several allied genera, of many species.

Having a hoodlike crest on the head, as certain birds, mammals, and reptiles.

The dorsal ridge of a bird's bill.

A tribe of wading birds including the stork, heron, crane, etc.

Sharp-edged and pointed; shaped like a pruning knife, as the beak of certain birds.

A large gallinaceous bird of the American genera Crax, Ourax, etc., of the family Cracidæ.

A wading bird of the genus Numenius, remarkable for its long, slender, curved bill.

An order of running birds including the ostrich, emu, and allies; the Ratitaæ.

A group of passerine birds, including the creepers and nuthatches.

A starling or other structure attached to the pier of a birdge, with an angle or edge directed up stream, in order better to resist the action of water, ice, etc.; the sharpened upper end of the pier itself.

A small water bird (Podilymbus podiceps), allied to the grebes, remarkable for its quickness in diving; -- called also dapchick, dobchick, dipchick, didapper, dobber, devil-diver, hell-diver, and pied-billed grebe.

The scaly covering of the toes, as in birds.