chachalaca
9.9
A slender tree bird in Mexico and Central America like a small wild turkey that makes loud calls
- noun
- /ˌtʃɑːtʃəˈlɑːkə/
- US
:
chachalaca
- While hiking in the rainforest, we spotted a chachalaca perched on a branch, its calls echoing through the trees.
- chachalaca bird
Examples
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The chachalaca is often hunted for its tasty meat, making it a popular game bird among local hunters.
-
The parrots and the Chachalaca birds are screaming for dear life over some trespass of space in the high trees, and off in the jungle, the Howler monkeys are finally howling.
Fiction book (1997) -
In the early morning, the sound of a chachalaca can be heard echoing through the misty forest, signaling the start of a new day.
Compounds
9.9
A large brown and grey bird from south Texas and Mexico that makes loud calls
Surface Forms
chachalaca singular
chachalacas plural
Etymology
The word chachalaca comes from Spanish, which took it from the Nahuatl word chachalacatl, a name that copies the bird's loud 'cha-cha' call. So the name reminds you that a chachalaca is a noisy tree bird often heard before it is seen.
