Guan

/ɡˈwɑːn/ noun

Definition

A large bird found in Central and South America that is related to the chicken, known for its loud calls and preference for tree-dwelling.

Etymology

From Nahuatl (Aztec language) 'quauhtli' (bird), which entered Spanish as 'guán' and then English in the 1600s through colonial contact with Mesoamerica.

Kelly Says

Guans are sometimes called 'flying turkeys' because they're tree-dwelling cousins of turkeys, and Indigenous peoples of the Americas hunted them for food long before Europeans arrived.

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