1625 S. Purchas II. ix. xix. 1653 The Chinois vse them to take fish, for this creature swimmeth on the water as other riuer Birds.
1705 tr. W. Bosman xv. 261 A certain River-Bird, very fine.
1910 W. de la Mare iv. 52 They heard the trump-billed riverbirds calling their secrets one to another.
1998 P. Chapman 98 Don't panic about Heron Tikka, however—it's not that elusive, well-loved river bird, it's ‘marinated deer meat barbecued in the tandoor’.