water turkey

or water·turkey

noun

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

If the chat is a clown, the water turkey would make its fortune as a contortionist.

Now and then a water-turkey, with his long neck and legs, varies the scene.

A water-turkey now and again rises and flies ahead into the long avenue of silence.

It was a water-turkey, and he sat placidly on a limb close to the water's edge, and about a boat's length ahead of us.

It was a water-turkey, that had been sitting on a tree, just as we turned a corner.

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