A tropical wading bird native to Central and South America, known for its distinctive loud call and long legs used for hunting in marshes.
From indigenous languages of the Americas, likely Tupi origin, referring to the bird's characteristic cry. The word entered English through naturalists and explorers documenting New World fauna.
The courlan's call is so loud and distinctive that indigenous peoples could identify it from miles away, and the Tupi word for it imitated its sound—a perfect example of how human languages borrowed names directly from nature's own descriptions.
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