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Glite Dictionary
Texas chachalaca

Texas chachalaca

9.9
A large brown and grey bird from south Texas and Mexico that makes loud calls
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛksəs ˌtʃɑːtʃəˈlɑːkə/
  • US
translation icon : chachalaca de Texas
  • The Texas chachalaca can often be heard making raucous calls at dawn in south Texas.

Examples

  • Birdwatchers were excited to spot a Texas chachalaca during their visit to the nature reserve.

  • Many Texas chachalacas can be seen in the Rio Grande Valley.

  • A group of Texas chachalacas wandered through the brush searching for berries.

  • The Texas chachalaca is known for its distinctive call.

  • Birdwatchers were excited to spot a Texas chachalaca during their visit to the nature reserve.

  • A group of Texas chachalacas wandered through the brush searching for berries.

  • The Texas chachalaca can often be heard making raucous calls at dawn in south Texas.

Synonyms

chachalaca
vsTexas chachalaca
  • US
9.9

A slender tree bird in Mexico and Central America like a small wild turkey that makes loud calls

is larger and brownish grey, found in southern Texas and known for loud calls

Surface Forms

Texas chachalaca singular
Texas chachalacas plural

Morphology

Texas + chachalaca

This is a straightforward place + noun composition: 'Texas' (a location) + 'chachalaca' (a bird) transparently yields 'the chachalaca from Texas' or a Texas-dwelling chachalaca. The lexical relation follows a common cross-linguistic pattern (location + entity), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Texas chachalaca joins the place name Texas with the local bird name chachalaca, which copies the bird's loud, repeated call. So the name tells you where the bird lives and that it is 'noisy'.