green heron

noun

: a small yellow-legged American heron (Butorides virescens synonym B. striatus) with a greenish back and chestnut neck and chest

called also green-backed heron

Examples of green heron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Great blue herons, green herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, dunlins, sanderlings and other sorts of shorebirds abound, making for great photography, as well. USA Today, 11 June 2025 It’s become an urban oasis for birds, like blue and green herons, turtles and other urban wildlife. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 4 Dec. 2024 There is also habitat to support great blue herons, green herons, egrets, kingfishers and many different songbirds. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 28 June 2024 Some earlier-than-expected arrivals included a green heron in Wellfleet, a scarlet tanager in Eastham, a black-and-white warbler in Sandwich, and indigo buntings in Yarmouth and Orleans. BostonGlobe.com, 26 Apr. 2023 In the distance, a lone green heron skimmed the river's surface with an eye toward a morning meal. Gina Decaprio Vercesi, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of green heron was in 1785

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Cite this Entry

“Green heron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/green%20heron. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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