redtail
8.1
A large North American hawk with dark brown feathers and a reddish tail that hunts small animals
- noun
- /ˈrɛdˌteɪl/
- US
:
halcón de cola roja
- While hiking, we spotted a redtail perched on a branch, watching for its next meal.
Examples
-
A redtail hawk circles above.
Academic text (2000) -
A redtail hawk soared gracefully in the clear blue sky.
-
He watched the sky for redtails and osprey.
Fiction book (1994) -
The distinct reddish-brown tail of the redtail can be seen from a great distance while it glides above the landscape.
Synonyms
2
5.5
A large North American bird that hunts small animals with a red-brown tail
is a broader description focusing on name and general appearance, not habitat details
9.9
A large North American hawk with a reddish-brown tail and broad wings
is the everyday common name used by most people rather than Latin label
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Redtail is simply red + tail, meaning 'red tail', like in redhead or bluebird. It names the large North American hawk because this bird has a reddish-brown tail, so the name helps you recognise it.