What is "oilbird"

Guacharo \Gua*cha"ro\, n. [Cf. Sp. gu['a]charo sickly, dropsical, guacharaca a sort of bird.] (Zo["o]l.) A nocturnal bird of South America and Trinidad ( Steatornis Caripensis, or S. steatornis); -- called also oilbird.

Note: It resembles the goatsuckers and nighthawks, but feeds on fruits, and nests in caverns. A pure oil, used in place of butter, is extracted from the young by the natives.

oilbird \oil"bird`\, n. (Zo["o]l.) See Guacharo.

n. (taxlink Steatornis caripensis species noshow=1), a nocturnal South American bird related to the nightjars that feeds on the fruit of the oil palm and tropical laurels.

n. nocturnal fruit-eating bird of South America that has fatty young yielding an oil that is used instead of butter [syn: guacharo, Steatornis caripensis]

The oilbirds (Steatornis caripensis), locally known as the guácharo, are birds found in the northern areas of South America (including the island of Trinidad in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago). Nesting in colonies in caves, they are nocturnal feeders on the fruits of the oil palm and tropical laurels. They are the only nocturnal flying fruit-eating birds in the world (the kakapo is flightless). They forage at night, with specially adapted eyesight. However they navigate by echolocation in the same way as bats, and are one of the few kinds of birds known to do so. They produce a high-pitched clicking sound of around 2 kHz that is audible to humans.