guacharo

gua·cha·ro

or guá·cha·ro (gwä′chə-rō′)n. pl. gua·cha·ros or guá·cha·ros A nightjar (Steatornis caripensis) of northern South America that roosts in caves and eats fruit. The young birds were formerly collected for their fat, which was used for cooking oil. Also called oilbird.

---

[American Spanish guácharo, from guacho, vagabond, from Quechua wakcha, wahcha, poor person, orphan (the bird perhaps being so called because of its plaintive cries).]

guacharo

(ˈɡwɑːtʃəˌrəʊ) n, pl -ros (Animals) another name for oilbird[C19: from Spanish guácharo]

oil•bird

(ˈɔɪlˌbɜrd)

n. a nocturnal cave-nesting bird of tropical South America, Steatornis caripensis, akin to the goatsuckers: the rendered fat of its young has been used as a cooking and lighting oil. [1890]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

guacharo - nocturnal fruit-eating bird of South America that has fatty young yielding an oil that is used instead of butteroilbird, Steatornis caripensiscaprimulgiform bird - long-winged nonpasserine birdsgenus Steatornis, Steatornis - type and sole genus of the family Steatornithidae