crocodile bird

American  

noun

1. an African courser, Pluvianus aegyptius, that often sits upon basking crocodiles and feeds on their insect parasites.

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crocodile bird British  

noun

1. an African courser, Pluvianus aegyptius, that lives close to rivers and is thought to feed on insects parasitic on crocodiles

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Etymology

Origin of crocodile bird

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Zic-Zac, the crocodile bird; a good neighbor story from the Nile.

From Project Gutenberg