Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Henry Herbert (1807–1858), sportsman and writer. In allusion to the long pointed tail of the passenger pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius (see e.g. quot. 1955.
Definition of pigeontail in US English:
pigeontail
noun
US
The pintail duck, Anas acuta.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Henry Herbert (1807–1858), sportsman and writer. In allusion to the long pointed tail of the passenger pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius (see e.g. quot. 1955.