wattlebird

[ wot-l-burd ]

noun

1. any of several Australian honey eaters of the genus Anthochaera, most of which have fleshy wattles at the sides of the neck.
2. any of three endemic New Zealand songbirds, of the family Callaeidae, all of which have brightly colored wattles at the corners of the mouth: Callaeas cinerea is endangered and Heteralocha acutirostris is believed to be extinct.

wattlebird

/ ˈwɒtəlˌbɜːd /

noun

1. any of various Australian honeyeaters of the genus Anthochaera, such as A. paradoxa ( yellow wattlebird ), that have red or yellow wattles on both sides of the head
2. any arboreal New Zealand songbird of the family Callaeidae, having wattles on both sides of the bill

Word History and Origins

Origin of wattlebird¹

First recorded in 1765–75; wattle + bird