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jabiru /dZæbə′ruː/ n. [Transferred use of jabiru ‘a large wading bird Jabiru mycteria, of the stork family’.] A large wading bird, Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus, with glossy greenish-black and white plumage and red legs, and occurring along the northern and eastern coasts of Australia, in New Guinea, and in southern Asia. Also called policeman bird policeman.

1826 Sydney Gaz. 28 Jan. 3/3 A Glossary of the most common Productions in the Natural History of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land… Jabiru  ..  Mycteria Australis.   1847 L. Leichhardt Jrnl. Overland Exped. Aust. 194 We saw a Tabiroo (Myceteria) and a rifle bird.   1860 G. Bennett Gatherings of Naturalist 197 The Jabiru is partial to salt-water creeks and lagoons.   1865 G.F. Angas Aust. 98 The mycteria, or jabiru, is a fine bird, standing nearly as high as the crane; it has a large, powerful beak, with glossy green and white plumage and bright-red legs.   1889 R.B. Anderson tr. C. Lumholtz ’s Among Cannibals 96 He threw down to me two large young of the gigantic wader Jabiru (Mycteria australis).   1896 W.H. Willshire Land of Dawning 3 The wild aboriginals are as shy and as wily as the ‘Jabiru’ (Xenorhynchus Asiaticus).   1905 Sydney Morning Herald 5 Aug. 5/4 The native companion would do well, and so would the ibis, and be welcome to an artistic designer; and so would the gigantic crane or jabiru, although he has rather a heavy-jawed, stupid expression.   1911 Barrier Miner (Broken Hill) 25 Oct. 7/4 The jabiru is a very shy bird, and keenly resents any intrusion on his privacy.   1925 Bulletin (Sydney) 23 Apr. 23/2 The blacks usually named a bird from its call… Galah and jabiru (our one stork) are a few of the survivals.   1937 G.H. Sunter Adventures Trepang Fisher 226 Jaberoo  ..  are something like geese to eat.   1945 C. Barrett Austral. Bird Life 25 While emu, brolga, and bustard are widely known, the jabiru or black-necked stork (Xenorhynchus asiaticus) is familiar to the great majority of Australians only as a zoo bird.   1950 Wild Life Apr. 189/2 A real Walt Disney bird is the jabiru.   1965 G. McInnes Road to Gundagai 125 Polygonum swamps over which the long legged jabiroo flew creating on its way.   1979 D. Lockwood My Old Mates & I 11 A solitary jabiru  ..  stalking its prey, occasionally jumping ludicrously and jabbing at fish with its monstrous bill.   1990 Canberra Times 20 Mar. (Suppl. ) 6/3 The sun's pink rays reflected the vibrant purple and blue colouring of two Jabirus, engaged in a slow graceful dance.   2005 Austral. (Sydney) 3 Sept. (Travel Suppl.) 3/2 The late afternoon sees us  ..  cruising out through the lilies into the realm of crocodiles, lily-trotting jacanas, towering jabirus, dancing brolgas and handsome stone hills perfectly reflected on the water's still surface.   2011 M. Groves Outback Life 259 There were the big black and white jabirus, with their huge black beaks, that strode on red, reedy legs in search of prey.