sheathbill

[ sheeth-bil ]
/ ˈʃiθˌbɪl /

noun

either of two white sea birds, Chionis alba or C. minor, of the colder parts of the Southern Hemisphere: so called from the horny sheath covering the base of the upper bill.

Origin of sheathbill

First recorded in 1775–85; sheath + bill2

Example sentences from the Web for sheathbill

British Dictionary definitions for sheathbill

sheathbill
/ (ˈʃiːθˌbɪl) /

noun

either of two pigeon-like shore birds, Chionis alba or C. minor, of antarctic and subantarctic regions, constituting the family Chionididae: order Charadriiformes. They have a white plumage and a horny sheath at the base of the bill