puffbird

[ puhf-burd ]

noun

1. any of several tropical American birds of the family Bucconidae, related to the barbets, having a large head with the feathers often fluffed out.

puffbird

/ ˈpʌfˌbɜːd /

noun

1. any of various brownish tropical American birds of the family Bucconidae, having a large head: order Piciformes (woodpeckers, etc)

Word History and Origins

Origin of puffbird¹

First recorded in 1815–25; puff + bird

Word History and Origins

Origin of puffbird¹

C19: so called because of its habit of puffing out its feathers

Example Sentences

After analyzing its DNA, Whitney realized he’d found a new species of puffbird: stout, fluffy birds with exceptionally large heads that live mostly solitary lives in the Amazonian treetops.

From Science Magazine