egrets

Heron \Her"on\, n. [OE. heiroun, heroun, heron, hern, OF.
   hairon, F. h['e]ron, OHG. heigir; cf. Icel. hegri, Dan.
   heire, Sw. h[aum]ger, and also G. h[aum]her jay, jackdaw,
   OHG. hehara, higere, woodpecker, magpie, D. reiger heron, G.
   reiher, AS. hr[=a]gra. Cf. {Aigret}, {Egret}.] (Zool.)
   Any wading bird of the genus {Ardea} and allied genera, of
   the family {Ardeid[ae]}. The herons have a long, sharp bill,
   and long legs and toes, with the claw of the middle toe
   toothed. The common European heron ({Ardea cinerea}) is
   remarkable for its directly ascending flight, and was
   formerly hunted with the larger falcons.
   [1913 Webster]

   Note: There are several common American species; as, the
         great blue heron ({Ardea herodias}); the little blue
         ({Ardea c[oe]rulea}); the green ({Ardea virescens});
         the snowy ({Ardea candidissima}); the night heron or
         qua-bird ({Nycticorax nycticorax}). The plumed herons
         are called {egrets}.
         [1913 Webster]

   {Heron's bill} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Erodium}; -- so
      called from the fancied resemblance of the fruit to the
      head and beak of the heron.
      [1913 Webster]