Wedge-tailed a. Zool. Having a tail which has the middle pair of feathers longest, the rest successively and decidedly shorter, and all more or less attenuate; -- said of certain birds.  See Illust. of Wood hoopoe, under Wood.
 Wedge-tailed eagle, an Australian eagle (Aquila audax) which feeds on various small species of kangaroos, and on lambs; -- called also mountain eagle, bold eagle, and eagle hawk.
 Wedge-tailed gull, an arctic gull (Rhodostethia rosea) in which the plumage is tinged with rose; -- called also Ross's gull.

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 Ea·gle n.
 1. Zoöl. Any large, rapacious bird of the Falcon family, esp. of the genera Aquila and Haliæetus.  The eagle is remarkable for strength, size, graceful figure, keenness of vision, and extraordinary flight.  The most noted species are the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaëtus); the imperial eagle of Europe (Aquila mogilnik or Aquila imperialis); the American bald eagle (Haliæetus leucocephalus); the European sea eagle (Haliæetus albicilla); and the great harpy eagle (Thrasaetus harpyia).  The figure of the eagle, as the king of birds, is commonly used as an heraldic emblem, and also for standards and emblematic devices.  See Bald eagle, Harpy, and Golden eagle.
 2. A gold coin of the United States, of the value of ten dollars.
 3. Astron. A northern constellation, containing Altair, a star of the first magnitude. See Aquila.
 4. The figure of an eagle borne as an emblem on the standard of the ancient Romans, or so used upon the seal or standard of any people.
    Though the Roman eagle shadow thee.   --Tennyson.
 Note: ☞ Some modern nations, as the United States, and France under the Bonapartes, have adopted the eagle as their national emblem. Russia, Austria, and Prussia have for an emblem a double-headed eagle.
 Bald eagle. See Bald eagle.
 Bold eagle. See under Bold.
 Double eagle, a gold coin of the United States worth twenty dollars.
 Eagle hawk Zoöl., a large, crested, South American hawk of the genus Morphnus.
 Eagle owl Zoöl., any large owl of the genus Bubo, and allied genera; as the American great horned owl (Bubo Virginianus), and the allied European species (B. maximus). See Horned owl.
 Eagle ray Zoöl., any large species of ray of the genus Myliobatis (esp. M. aquila).
 Eagle vulture Zoöl., a large West African bid (Gypohierax Angolensis), intermediate, in several respects, between the eagles and vultures.

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 Hawk n.  Zool. One of numerous species and genera of rapacious birds of the family Falconidae.  They differ from the true falcons in lacking the prominent tooth and notch of the bill, and in having shorter and less pointed wings.  Many are of large size and grade into the eagles. Some, as the goshawk, were formerly trained like falcons.  In a more general sense the word is not infrequently applied, also, to true falcons, as the sparrow hawk, pigeon hawk, duck hawk, and prairie hawk.
 Note: ☞ Among the common American species are the red-tailed hawk (Buteo borealis); the red-shouldered (Buteo lineatus); the broad-winged (Buteo Pennsylvanicus); the rough-legged (Archibuteo lagopus); the sharp-shinned (Accipiter fuscus). See Fishhawk, Goshawk, Marsh hawk, under Marsh, Night hawk, under Night.
 Bee hawk Zool., the honey buzzard.
 Eagle hawk. See under Eagle.
 Hawk eagle Zool., an Asiatic bird of the genus Spizaetus, or Limnaetus, intermediate between the hawks and eagles. There are several species.
 Hawk fly Zool., a voracious fly of the family Asilidae. See Hornet fly, under Hornet.
 Hawk moth. Zool. See Hawk moth, in the Vocabulary.
 Hawk owl. Zool. (a) A northern owl (Surnia ulula) of Europe and America. It flies by day, and in some respects resembles the hawks. (b) An owl of India (Ninox scutellatus).
 Hawk's bill Horology, the pawl for the rack, in the striking mechanism of a clock.