What is "snowy heron"

Snowy \Snow"y\, a.

1. White like snow. ``So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows.''
   --Shak.

2. Abounding with snow; covered with snow. ``The snowy top of cold Olympus.''
   --Milton.

3. Fig.: Pure; unblemished; unstained; spotless.

   There did he lose his snowy innocence.
   --J. Hall (1646).

   Snowy heron (Zo["o]l.), a white heron, or egret ( Ardea candidissima), found in the Southern United States, and southward to Chile; -- called also plume bird.

   Snowy lemming (Zo["o]l.), the collared lemming ( Cuniculus torquatus), which turns white in winter.

   Snowy owl (Zo["o]l.), a large arctic owl ( Nyctea Scandiaca, or N. nivea) common all over the northern parts of the United States and Europe in winter time. Its plumage is sometimes nearly pure white, but it is usually more or less marked with blackish spots. Called also white owl.

   Snowy plover (Zo["o]l.), a small plover ( [AE]gialitis nivosa) of the western parts of the United States and Mexico. It is light gray above, with the under parts and portions of the head white.

n. small New World egret [syn: snowy egret, Egretta thula]