Found 1 items, similar to marline-spike bird.
English → English (gcide)
Definition: marline-spike bird
Jager
\Ja"ger\, n. [G. j["a]ger a hunter, a sportsman. Cf.
Yager.] [Written also
jaeger.]
1. (Mil.) A sharpshooter. See
Yager.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zo["o]l.) Any species of gull of the genus
Stercorarius. Three species occur on the Atlantic coast.
The jagers pursue other species of gulls and force them to
disgorge their prey. The two middle tail feathers are
usually decidedly longer than the rest. Called also
boatswain, and
marline-spike bird. The name is also
applied to the skua, or Arctic gull (
Megalestris skua).
[1913 Webster]