Bird · GBIF taxon 2480873
Snowy Egret
Egretta thulaAlso known as Brewster's Egret, Little White Egret
Snowy egrets dance actively through shallow water, using bright yellow feet to stir up small fish and crustaceans. During the spring breeding season, adults grow delicate, lacelike plumes across their backs that were once heavily targeted by the millinery trade. Today, these social waders nest in dense mixed species colonies along coastal marshes, estuaries, and inland wetlands across the Americas.
Wading BirdCoastalWhite Plumage
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Small fish
- Crayfish
- Aquatic insects
Predators
- Alligators
- Great Horned Owls
- Raccoons
ThreatsWetland habitat destruction, water pollution, coastal development
HabitatsSalt marshes, mudflats, freshwater wetlands, swamps, lakeshores
Life span10–17 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPelecaniformes
- FamilyArdeidae
- GenusEgretta
- SpeciesEgretta thula
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance with binoculars or a telephoto lens.
- What to notice
- Distinguished by all-white plumage, a slender black bill, black legs, and bright yellow feet.
- Support conservation
- Observe active breeding colonies from at least 100 meters away using a spotting scope or telephoto lens.
Responsible observation
- Observe Feeding Behavior: Look along shallow marsh edges where they vibrate their feet to startle hidden prey.
- Respect Nesting Colonies: Keep clear of coastal island rookeries during spring and early summer nesting cycles.
- Distinguish Key Field Marks: Note the slender black bill and black legs tipped with bright yellow feet.
Close Relative "Photo of the Week - Great Egret at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge" by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/. · cc0
Genus Relative "Birds - Little Blue Heron by William Powell" by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Southwest Region is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/. · cc0
Genus Relative "Tricolored Heron" by Andy Morffew is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Genus Relative no rights reserved · cc0
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Wetland Territory
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