ruticilla

English

Noun

ruticilla (plural ruticillas)

1. A bird, the redstart.
   • 1769, John Wallis, The Natural History and Antiquities of Northumberland:

     The Ruticilla, or the small Redstart, Red-Tail, Fire-Tail, or Star-Finch, a beautiful song-bird, entertains us all summer, and disappears on the approach of winter.

   • 1855, Richard Hill, A week at Port Royal, page 7:

     Beside the Canary warbler I have only seen of small birds a couple of flame-coloured ruticillas (setophaga ruticilla,) a very rich-tinted bird, whose plumage of intermingled black and orange, as I would say, if oranges were always as ruddy as they are in this and the succeeding month, when they are luscious ripe, whose rich fiery plumage, never fails to arrest attention.