Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Snowy Egrets use their bright yellow feet to wiggle in the mud, 'dancing' to startle prey into the open.
- Scientific name
- Egretta thula
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Pelecaniformes › Ardeidae › Egretta
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Salt marshes, tidal flats, freshwater swamps, and shallow coastal ponds.
- Diet
- Small fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects, frogs, and worms.
- Range
- North America, Central America, South America, Caribbean
- Size
- Length: 55-65 cm; Wingspan: 100 cm; Weight: 370 g.
- Lifespan
- 17 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland degradation, water pollution, and human disturbance at nesting colonies.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and shy. Maintain a distance of at least 50 feet to avoid causing stress or flushing. If you find an injured bird, do not handle it; contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
The snowy egret ( Egretta thula ) is a small white heron. The genus name comes from the Provençal French for the little egret aigrette , a diminutive of aigron , "heron". The species name thula is the Araucano for the Black-necked Swan, applied to this species in error by Chilean naturalist Juan Ignacio Molina in 1782.
Photo: Bill Levine, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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