Kagu name "Rhynochetos", and the clade name Rhynochetidae, are derived from the Greek "rhis" meaning nose and "chetos" meaning corn, referring to the corn-shaped flaps over the nostrils. The specific name "jubatus" is derived from the Latin "iabatus" meaning crested. The name kagu is derived from the Melanesian names for the species. The species is variously known as the "kavu" or "kagou" in the Kanak languages, and as the "cagou" in French (also used as an alternative spelling in English). The kagu is a ground-living bird, in length. The weight can vary considerably by individual and by season, ranging from .
Creature type (Dungeons & Dragons) an insect, arachnid, arthropod, worm, or other invertebrate. Some have magical abilities, and others are giant versions of real insects. Most vermin are considered mindless individually. Since many vermin are too small to model individually, they are often represented as swarms (clusters that act like single creatures and sometimes have hive minds). In 4th edition, type was split into types and origins. "Beast", "humanoid" and "monstrous humanoid" remained classified as creature types, while many subtypes from earlier editions were converted to keywords, as were some types, such as "undead" and "construct". "Animates" are magically animated creatures, such as golems, zombies