noun
- Plural of blackcock; male black grouse, a large game bird found in northern Europe and Asia with black plumage and a lyre-shaped tail.
Usage: ornithology; chiefly British
Examples
- The blackcocks gathered on the moorland at dawn during their spring display.
- Hunters in Scotland traditionally pursue blackcocks during the game season.
- The distinctive lyre-shaped tails of blackcocks make them easy to identify in flight.
- Several blackcocks were observed performing their elaborate courtship ritual.