great blue heron

noun

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

Definition of great blue heron

: a large slaty-blue American heron (Ardea herodias) that has a dark crown, showy plumes on the head and neck, is about 46 inches (117 centimeters) long, and includes a white morph — see great white heron

See great blue heron defined for kids

Recent Examples of great blue heron from the Web

The art piece is one of 14 benches along The Woodlands Waterway and features a great blue heron with a fish in its mouth sitting atop a bald cypress trunk.

— patricia dillon, Houston Chronicle, "Art enthusiasts celebrate, build camaraderie at ‘ArtFeel Live’ in The Woodlands," 29 June 2018
Where the water comes closest to the trail, be on the lookout for stealthy great blue herons and ingeniously constructed beaver dams.

— mare czinar, azcentral, "Arizona hike: Wildlife abounds on the South Fork Trail," 19 June 2018
Some of the birds that are currently protected under the act include the bald eagle, snowy egret and great blue heron.

— dana hedgpeth, Washington Post, "Osprey nest at a construction crane finds a new home," 7 June 2018
One of the biggest and hungriest of them all, officials say, are great blue herons, wading birds that will swallow fish after fish after fish if allowed to stand in a pond undisturbed.

— gregory b. hladky, courant.com, "Hatcheries Try Guns, Nets, Noise To Protect Fish From Invading Birds," 21 May 2018
Kayak or canoe the marsh to see great blue herons, Canada geese and hundreds of other bird species.

— chelsey lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "By boat, bike or foot, Horicon Marsh is a Wisconsin treasure," 31 May 2018
Follow the east branch of the Rock River into the marsh to Fourmile Island, a nesting site for great blue heron.

— chelsey lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Trip tips: What to do, where to eat and where to stay in the Horicon Marsh area," 31 May 2018
Below, two great blue herons glided in a few feet above the river, looking for a place to land and fish.

— michael gordon, charlotteobserver, "Here's what Charlotte can expect from Alberto," 28 May 2018
The former cranberry operation at 60 Beaver Dam Road has been restored to a mix of wetlands and woodlands that attracts bald eagles, song birds, and great blue herons.

— leslie anderson, BostonGlobe.com, "Cape Ann artisans open their studios," 27 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'great blue heron.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of great blue heron

1835

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Learn More about great blue heron

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about great blue heron

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up great blue heron? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

great blue heron

Definition of great blue heron

Recent Examples of great blue heron from the Web

First Known Use of great blue heron

Learn More about great blue heron

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

vouchsafe

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Is 'Consensus of Opinion' Redundant?

The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise - 7/13

Is There a Difference Between ‘Long’ and ‘Lengthy?’

Add These Rare and Uncommon Words to Your Vocabulary Now!

Ask the Editors

Ghost Word

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Obscure Shapes

Who Knew?

Spell It

Citation

Is 'Consensus of Opinion' Redundant?

Obscure Shapes

Wonderful Words That You're Not Using (Yet)

Trending: Ocasio-Cortez Sparks 'Socialism' Lookups

Ghost Word

great blue heron

Definition of great blue heron

Recent Examples of great blue heron from the Web

First Known Use of great blue heron

Learn More about great blue heron

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Is 'Consensus of Opinion' Redundant?

Obscure Shapes

Wonderful Words That You're Not Using (Yet)

Trending: Ocasio-Cortez Sparks 'Socialism' Lookups

Ghost Word