deathbird

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From a superstition of some North American Indians that it presages death. Compare Salentino Sicilian oceddu de la morte (owl, literally death bird) and Malagasy vorondolo (owl, literally ghost bird).

Noun

[edit]

deathbird (plural deathbirds)

  1. Tengmalm's owl (Nyctala tengmalmi)