A British regional dialect name for the mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus), a large thrush known for its loud, piercing song that it delivers even in stormy weather. The name captures the bird's most distinctive quality — its shrill, insistent call. Like many dialect bird names, it has largely been replaced by the standard English name.
The shrillcock was singing from the top of the elm before sunrise, heedless of the wind.
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(UK, regional) The mistle thrush.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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