great blue heron

noun

1. a large American heron, Ardea herodias, having bluish-gray plumage.

Word History and Origins

Origin of great blue heron¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

A great blue heron balanced on a dock and watched me; a cormorant eyed me curiously.

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Nearby, a great blue heron stood motionless in shallow water.

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You might also see a green or great blue heron, or a black-crowned night heron.

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Yet another reader described a “magical” spot at Stinson Beach in Marin County, where birders could watch scores of snowy egrets and great blue herons nest.

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On the worst days, a great blue heron lands in the backyard, and I become entirely unhinged.

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