great blue heron

noun

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

Examples of great blue heron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Great egrets approach the great blue heron in size. — Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, "You’ll have no regrets in search for egrets – and herons, too," 11 July 2018 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

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.