cock-of-the-rock

American  

[kok-uhv-thuh-rok] / ˈkɒk əv ðəˈrɒk /

noun

plural

cocks-of-the-rock

1. a brilliant orange-red bird of the genus Rupicola, of northern South America, having an erect crest that conceals the bill.

---

cock-of-the-rock British  

noun

1. either of two tropical South American birds, Rupicola rupicola or R. peruviana, having an erectile crest and (in the male) a brilliant red or orange plumage: family Cotingidae (cotingas)

---

Etymology

Origin of cock-of-the-rock

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Lots of these are flashy and colorful, like Peru’s Andean cock-of-the-rock, Angola’s red-crested turaco, Nicaragua’s turquoise-browed motmot.

From Slate • Dec. 30, 2016

The elegant crested bird called cock-of-the-rock, admirably described by Buffon, is a native of the woody mountains of Macoushia.

From Wanderings in South America by Waterton, Charles

Such are the rapid descent of the snipe, the soaring and singing of the lark, and the dances of the cock-of-the-rock and of many other birds.

From Darwinism (1889) by Wallace, Alfred Russel