capercaillie

noun

cap·er·cail·lie ˌka-pər-ˈkā-lē

-ˈkāl-yē

variants or capercailzie

ˌka-pər-ˈkāl-zē

plural capercaillie or capercailzies also capercaillies or capercailzie

: a very large European grouse (Tetrao urogallus) of hilly coniferous woodlands

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Now, with the body of a western capercaillie as evidence, authorities in southwestern Germany are trying to determine what happened. —

BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2019 With luck, spot an elusive capercaillie, an endemic Scottish crossbill, or a magnificent golden eagle. —

National Geographic, 12 June 2019 Concealed within these forests are Tengalman’s owl, capercaillie and black woodpecker. —

Smithsonian, 15 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'capercaillie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.