muttonbird

UK: /ˈmʌt^ənˌbɜːd/

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

muttonbird / ˈmʌt^ənˌbɜːd/ noun

1. any of several shearwaters, having a dark plumage with greyish underparts, esp the sooty shearwater (Puffinus griseus) of New Zealand, which is collected for food by Māoris. It inhabits the Pacific Ocean and in summer nests in Australia and New Zealand
2. any of various petrels, esp the short-tailed shearwater, Puffinus tenuirostris, which inhabits the Pacific Ocean and in summer nests in S Australia

Etymology: 19th Century: so named because their cooked flesh is claimed to taste like mutton

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

mut′ton bird′, 

1. Birds any of several long-winged seabirds, often used as food, esp. Puffinus tenuirostris (short-tailed shearwater) of Australia and Puffinus griseus (sooty shearwater), which breeds in the Southern Hemisphere and winters in the Northern Hemisphere.

Also, mut′ton-bird′. 

• 1840–50