wompoo, n.
(ˈwɒmpuː)
Also wampoo, (in early use) whompoa, whampoo.
[Echoic, f. the bird's cry.]
A large colourful Australian fruit pigeon, Ptilinopus magnificus, with predominantly green plumage, grey head, purple breast, and yellow abdomen, and having a distinctive bubbling call. Freq. attrib., as wompoo pigeon.
| 1870 E. B. Kennedy Four Yrs. Queensland vii. 111 One may find a large one with green back and purple and yellow breast, called the Whompoa, or painted pigeon. 1901 Truth (Sydney) 10 Mar. 5/5 Whampoo pigeons, green and rich gold, crowd the showers of ruddy-berries to the ground. 1935 A. H. Chisholm Bird Wonders Austral. i. 114 The deep bubbling notes..have given rise to the name of ‘Wompoo’ and to the bushman's other quaint terms, ‘Bubbly Jock’ and ‘Bubbly Mary’. 1944 J. Devanny By Tropic Sea & Jungle xviii. 157 The wampoo pigeon's a good beefy bloke, and fine eating too. 1987 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 9 Oct. (Great Outdoors Suppl.) 10/3 Birds people could expect to see on the two-kilometre rainforest walk included wompoo pigeons, regent bowerbirds,..and perhaps the uncommon paradise-riflebird. |