gooney bird

gooney bird or goon·y bird [goo-nee] Word Origin noun

1. any of several albatrosses, especially the black-footed albatross and the Laysan albatross, occurring on islands in the Pacific Ocean, often near naval bases.
2. Slang. a foolish or awkward person or thing; goon.

Origin of gooney bird First recorded in 1940–45; see origin at goon Also called gooney, goony. British Dictionary definitions for gooney bird gooney bird noun

1. an informal name for the albatross, esp the black-footed albatross (Diomedea nigripes)

Word Origin for gooney bird C19 gony (originally sailors’ slang), probably from dialect gooney fool, of obscure origin; compare goon