firetail

Firetail refers to two distinct birds depending on where you are in the world. In Australia, it names any small finch of the genus Stagonopleura, known for their striking red rumps and tails — tiny, vivid birds popular with aviary enthusiasts. In British dialect, it was the old folk name for the common redstart, a migratory songbird whose rust-orange tail is impossible to miss. Both uses share the same logic: that flashing, fire-colored tail. The word is one of those satisfying vernacular names that describes exactly what you see.