heath hen

[ heeth hen ]

noun

1. an American gallinaceous bird, Tympanuchus cupido cupido, closely related to the prairie chicken and once a common inhabitant of coastal heaths from New Hampshire to Virginia: extensively hunted, especially during the Colonial period, the heath hen has been regarded extinct since 1932.
2. the female of the black grouse.

heath hen

noun

1. another name for greyhen
2. a recently extinct variety of the prairie chicken

Word History and Origins

Origin of heath hen¹

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

Low genetic diversity—often brought on by a mass die-off or inbreeding—has been considered a death knell for species from heath hens to Tasmanian tigers.

From Science Magazine

McGrain’s subjects have included, among others, the passenger pigeon, the great auk, the Labrador duck, the heath hen, and the Carolina parakeet.

From The New Yorker

It includes some extinct creatures such as the passenger pigeon and a heath hen, a common bird in North America until it was hunted to extinction in 1932.

From Reuters

Ordinary hunters seeking sport or food were not to blame for the near loss of the bison and the extinction of such species as the passenger pigeon, heath hen and Labrador duck.

From Seattle Times

The foundation-funded outfit might undertake a similar effort to revive the heath hen in Martha's Vineyard, if they can get funding from outside donors.

From Scientific American