A type of waterfowl or wading bird with a distinctively stained or reddish bill, found in wetland habitats.
Compound of 'gore' (meaning blood-stained or reddish-brown color) and 'bill' (the bird's beak), combining Old English 'gore' with Old English 'bile' (beak).
Many bird names are wonderfully literal—the gorebill earned its name simply because someone looked at it and thought 'that bill looks bloodstained,' which is exactly how hundreds of animal common names originated through casual observation.
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