night heron

[ nahyt her-uhn ]

noun

1. any of several thick-billed, crepuscular or nocturnal herons of the genus Nycticorax and related genera, as N. nycticorax black-crowned night heron, or squawk, of the Old and New Worlds, and Nyctanassa violacea yellow-crowned night heron, of the Americas.

night heron

noun

1. any nocturnal heron of the genus Nycticorax and related genera, having short legs and neck, a heavy body, and a short heavy bill

Word History and Origins

Origin of night heron¹

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

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

From Los Angeles Times

His longest stake out was a nine-hour watch for a black-crowned night heron near Wakefield, which he finally saw for three or four seconds.

From BBC

One cold morning not long after the kiss dream, I watched a young night heron sleep on a naked branch over the pond in Brooklyn Bridge Park, head folded into chest, and found myself wondering whether birds dream.

From New York Times

Three Canada geese and a black-crowned night heron tested positive in Long Beach, three more Canada geese tested positive in the city of Los Angeles and one Canada goose tested positive in Cerritos, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation said.

From Los Angeles Times

“There’s a glossy ibis,” he exclaimed, followed by a tricolored heron, a night heron, another glossy ibis, a snowy egret, two bald eagles, an osprey and a great black-backed gull, the largest member of the gull family.

From Washington Post