What does jabiru mean?
A jabiru is a large stork native to tropical regions of the Americas. It is most often seen around rivers, marshes, mangroves, and other wetlands, where it hunts fish, frogs, crustaceans, and other small animals. The bird is immediately recognizable by its mostly white body, black head and neck, long dark bill, and considerable height. Although related to other storks, the jabiru is the sole living member of its own genus. The name came into English through Portuguese and ultimately from an Indigenous South American language. Today, “jabiru” is primarily a biological term for the bird, though older English and regional usage also connected it with plants of the toadflax family. For a general reader, the word offers a precise name for one of the largest and most conspicuous wading birds in the tropical Americas.
A large tropical American stork with a black head and neck, a mostly white body, and a long bill.
"A flock of jabirus gathered near the flooded grassland."
The plural is jabirus.
A name formerly used for certain plants of the toadflax family.
"The botanical garden labels the flowering plant as a jabiru."
This sense is uncommon and is mainly found in older or regional usage.
The standard plural is jabirus.
"Several jabirus waded through the shallow water."
The jabiru is nature’s heavyweight wader, standing up to nearly five feet tall with a bill that can resemble a dagger.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does jabiru come from?
The English word entered through Portuguese jabiru, which was borrowed from an Indigenous language of South America, commonly identified as Tupi or Guarani. It was used for the conspicuous black-and-white stork of tropical wetlands. The same Portuguese form was also applied to a plant resembling a toadflax, accounting for the word's less common botanical sense.
How jabiru is actually used
In modern English, the word usually denotes the bird. The botanical sense is uncommon and may be encountered in older or regional usage.
Easily confused with jabiru
A jabiru is a large stork with a long bill, whereas an ibis is generally a smaller wading bird with a slender, downward-curving bill.