a shorebird (Aphriza virgata) of the same family as the sandpiper, found on the Pacific coast of the Americas during the winter: it has a short, square tail, white at the base and black at the tip
See surfbird in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
A shore bird (Aphriza virgata) of the Pacific coast of North and South America, having dark, heavily spotted plumage and a black tail with a broad white base.