An American name for the black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), named for the harsh, grating 'quawk' call it produces in flight. The onomatopoeic name perfectly captures the bird's distinctive vocalization. Night herons are crepuscular and often heard rather than seen, making the name especially apt. 'Quawk' also refers more generally to the loud, harsh calls of herons and similar birds.
Something quawked in the reeds as they paddled past, startling them both.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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Of birds, to give loud, harsh vocalisations.
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(US) The black-crowned night heron, .
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The harsh call of this or other birds.
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