shell-bird n DC ~ (Nfld: 1770-). Merganser, esp lesser red-breasted merganser; shell-duck (Mergus serrator serrator).
[1770] 1792 CARTWRIGHT i, 4 Nor could I kill any thing but a single shellbird. 1842 JUKES ii, 78 There were several broods of shell-birds, of which we shot some. 1870 Can Naturalist v, 304 At early morning the [shell birds] fly out to sea in large flocks, but return to fresh water in the evening. 1907 TOWNSEND 324 'Shelldrake'; 'Shell-bird'. . common summer resident along the coast and in the interior; more common transient visitor. 1937 DEVINE 62 [proverb] 'You can get only one shot at a Shell bird.' Meaning that if a Shell duck escapes your first attempt you will never see it more. Fishermen who have been stung by a merchant. and whose dealings are invited again, I have heard them say this. 1951 Nfld & Lab Pilot i, 220 Shellbird islet, 6 feet high, lies close northward of the southern entrance point of this cove. 1951 PETERS & BURLEIGH 129-30 Lesser Red-breasted Merganser... Local names: Shell Duck, Shell Bird... The 'Shell Duck' feeds mainly upon fish, but also upon various molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic insects. 1967 Bk of Nfld iii, 283 Shell bird (probably from its habit of feeding in shallow waters offshore or on mussel beds).
