Fantail \Fan"tail`\ (f[a^]n"t[=a]l`), n. (Zool.)
   (a) A variety of the domestic pigeon, so called from the shape of the tail.
   (b) Any bird of the Australian genus Rhipidura, in which the tail is spread in the form of a fan during flight. They belong to the family of flycatchers.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)