weka

[ wey-kuh, wee- ]

noun

1. any of several large, flightless New Zealand rails of the genus Gallirallus.

weka

/ ˈweɪkə; ˈwiːkə /

noun

1. any flightless New Zealand rail of the genus Gallirallus, having a mottled brown plumage and rudimentary wings AlsoMāori henwood hen

Word History and Origins

Origin of weka¹

Borrowed into English from Maori around 1835–45

Word History and Origins

Origin of weka¹

C19: from Māori, of imitative origin

Example Sentences

The bird, a weka, has become extinct over large parts of New Zealand- and is a fully protected species.

From BBC

Miro seeds were evacuated after an average of 38 hours, while it took five days for the weka to pass the hinau seeds.

From New York Times

They came across a weka, a small flightless native bird that ranger Andrew Lamason told the couple is New Zealand’s version of a monkey due to its “cheeky” nature.

From Reuters

The couple strolled along on a sandy beach and came across a weka bird, with a ranger saying that they’re New Zealand’s version of a monkey because they’re very cheeky.

From Seattle Times

The couple strolled along on a sandy beach and came across a weka bird, with a ranger saying that they’re New Zealand’s version of a monkey because they’re very cheeky.

From Washington Times