heath hen
noun
: a now extinct grouse (Tympanuchus cupido cupido) of the northeastern U.S. compare prairie chicken
Examples of heath hen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In this way, the loss of the heath hen helped shape a more hopeful path for the species that followed.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
The heath hen was unique as the only member of the North American prairie chickens (genus Tympanuchus) found along the eastern seaboard.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
The Sad Story of Booming Ben, Last of the Heath Hens
Rebecca Heisman
March 2, 2016
Grassland-dwelling heath hen and prairie chicken populations across the country are in trouble.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2025
New Englanders watched the heath hen, an eastern prairie chicken, collapse to a single male who died in 1931, followed quickly by the extinction of the most colorful of all our birds, the Carolina parakeet.
—TIME, 12 Dec. 2023
As a naturalist, Hornaday had witnessed the extinction of other victims of American progress: the passenger pigeon, the Audubon bighorn sheep, and the heath hen.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 26 Oct. 2023
The closest living relative of the heath hen, which went extinct in the 1930s, is the greater prairie chicken.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2022
Novak works for the nonprofit Revive & Restore, which is exploring de-extinction for the passenger pigeon, heath hen, and woolly mammoth.
—Ashley Braun, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2019
By that time two other American species faced their imminent demise: the once-abundant passenger pigeon and the heath hen, a grouse-like bird that lived along the Eastern seaboard.
—Jennie Erin Smith, WSJ, 12 Apr. 2019
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.
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
The heath hen was unique as the only member of the North American prairie chickens (genus Tympanuchus) found along the eastern seaboard.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
The Sad Story of Booming Ben, Last of the Heath Hens
Rebecca Heisman
March 2, 2016
Grassland-dwelling heath hen and prairie chicken populations across the country are in trouble.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2025
New Englanders watched the heath hen, an eastern prairie chicken, collapse to a single male who died in 1931, followed quickly by the extinction of the most colorful of all our birds, the Carolina parakeet.
—TIME, 12 Dec. 2023
As a naturalist, Hornaday had witnessed the extinction of other victims of American progress: the passenger pigeon, the Audubon bighorn sheep, and the heath hen.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 26 Oct. 2023
The closest living relative of the heath hen, which went extinct in the 1930s, is the greater prairie chicken.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2022
Novak works for the nonprofit Revive & Restore, which is exploring de-extinction for the passenger pigeon, heath hen, and woolly mammoth.
—Ashley Braun, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2019
By that time two other American species faced their imminent demise: the once-abundant passenger pigeon and the heath hen, a grouse-like bird that lived along the Eastern seaboard.
—Jennie Erin Smith, WSJ, 12 Apr. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Heath hen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heath%20hen. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share