Snowy egret

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A snowy egret catches a fish

The snowy egret (Egretta thula) is a small white heron. The genus name comes from Provençal French for the little egret, Template:Lang, which is a diminutive of Template:Lang, 'heron'. The species name thula is the Mapudungun term for the black-necked swan, applied to this species in error by Chilean naturalist Juan Ignacio Molina in 1782.<ref name=job>Jobling, 2010, p.143, 385</ref>

The snowy egret is the American counterpart to the very similar Old World little egret, which has become established in the Bahamas. At one time, the plumes of the snowy egret were in great demand as decorations for women's hats.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> They were hunted for these plumes and this reduced the population of the species to dangerously low levels.<ref name="allaboutbirds">Template:Cite web</ref> Now protected in the United States by law, under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, this bird's population has rebounded.

Description

Adult snowy egrets are entirely white apart from the yellow lores between the long black bill and the eye, black legs, and bright yellow feet. The nape and neck bear long, shaggy plumes known as aigrettes.<ref name=Neotropical/> Immature snowy egrets have duller, greenish legs.

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Distribution and habitat

The snowy egret is native to North, Central and South America. It is present all year round in South America, ranging as far south as Chile and Argentina. It also occurs throughout the year in the West Indies, Florida and coastal regions of North and Central America. Elsewhere, in the southern part of the United States, it is migratory, breeding in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. It is found in wetlands of many types; marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes and estuaries. It is not found at high altitudes nor generally on the coast.<ref name=Neotropical>Template:Cite book</ref> The snowy egret has occurred as a vagrant in Europe, in Iceland, Scotland and the Azores.<ref name = Scotsman>Template:Cite web</ref> It has also been recorded in South Africa.<ref name = IOL>Template:Cite web</ref>

Diet

The birds eat fish, crustaceans (such as crabs, shrimp and crayfish),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> insects, small reptiles (such as lizards and snakes),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> snails, frogs, toads<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and worms (especially earthworms and other annelids).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They stalk prey in shallow water, often running or shuffling their feet, flushing prey into view by swaying their heads, flicking their wings or vibrating their bills. They may also hover, or "dip-fish" by flying with their feet just above the water surface. Snowy egrets may also stand still and wait to ambush prey, or hunt for insects stirred up by domestic animals in open fields. They sometimes forage in mixed species groups.<ref name="allaboutbirds"/>

Breeding

Snowy egrets breed in mixed colonies, which may include great egrets, night herons, tricolored herons, little blue herons, cattle egrets, glossy ibises and roseate spoonbills. The male establishes a territory and starts building the nest in a tree, vines or thick undergrowth. He then attracts a mate with an elaborate courtship display which includes dipping up and down, bill raising, aerial displays, diving, tumbling and calling. The immediate vicinity of the nest is defended from other birds and the female finishes the construction of the nest with materials brought by the male. It is constructed from twigs, rushes, sedges, grasses, Spanish moss and similar materials and may be Template:Convert across. Up to six pale bluish-green eggs are laid which hatch after about 24 days. The young are altricial and covered with white down when first hatched. They leave the nest after about 22 days.<ref name="allaboutbirds"/>

Fossil finds

Fossils of the snowy egret have been reported from the Talara tar seeps of Peru and in Bradenton in Manatee County and Haile XIB in Alachua County in Florida, United States.<ref name=FWEgrettaThula/> The deposits were dated to the Late Pleistocene.<ref name=FWTalara>Talara tar seeps at Fossilworks.org</ref><ref name=FWBradenton>Bradenton at Fossilworks.org</ref><ref name=FWHaile>Haile XIB at Fossilworks.org</ref><ref name=Ligon1966>Ligon, 1966</ref>

Status

In the early twentieth century, the snowy egret was hunted extensively for their long breeding plumes that fashionable ladies wore on their hats. This trade was ended in 1910 in North America but continued for some time in Central and South America. Since then populations have recovered.<ref name="allaboutbirds"/> The bird has a very wide range and the total population is large. No particular threats have been recognised and the population trend seems to be upwards, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />

Gallery

Head shot
Plumage displayed
Full breeding plumage
With chicks
Tayrona national park, Colombia
In flight
In flight
A snowy egret and its hatchlings in St. Augustine, FL.
Snowy egret chicks in St. Augustine, FL
Snowy egret hunting in Queens, New York
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Snowy Egret walking along water's edge while looking for food