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

It’s a spot that people think of as industrial and not very pretty, but I’ve seen dozens and dozens of bird species there: great blue herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, black-crowned night herons.

From Los Angeles Times

Jim peered into the distance and trained his 10-times-magnification binoculars on a yellow-crowned night heron with plumes that fluttered down its back like ribbons.

From Washington Post

Here, a black-crowned night heron has found a fishing perch on the harbour front.

From BBC