Snowy Egret
Snowy Egret
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 snowy egret is the American counterpart to the very similar Old World little egret, which has established a foothold in the Bahamas. At one time, the beautiful plumes of the snowy egret were in great demand by market hunters as decorations for women’s hats. This reduced the population of the species to dangerously low levels.
Now protected in the United States by law, under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, this bird’s population has rebounded.
Snowy egrets nest in colonies on thick vegetation in isolated places, such as barrier islands, dredge-spoil islands, salt marsh islands, swamps, and marshes. They often change location from year to year. During the breeding season, snowy egrets feed in estuaries, salt-marshes, tidal channels, shallow bays, and mangroves. They winter in mangroves, saltwater lagoons, freshwater swamps, grassy ponds, and temporary pools, and forage on beaches, shallow reefs, and wet fields.
Photo Gallery
H.J. Ruiz - Avian101 
Love their elegance and their yellow feet! One of my favorite wading birds.
What’s not to like about this bird? It’s beautiful and graceful. Thank you Carol. 🙂
Happy New Year to you. I hope the coming year’s a good one, and filled with birdy delights of every sort!
Thank you Linda. Happy 2018, may this new year be filled with good health, love and prosperity for you and family. 🙂
A wonderful celebration here, HJ, of the beautiful snowy egret. Thank goodness steps were taken and the law enacted to protect the feathers of our beautiful egrets. Great photos, as always, I especially like the close-up of the snowy under the pier. It’s not easy to capture the delightful yellow feet.
This bird is so beautiful and delicately graceful I can’t fathom who would hunt and destroy this creature. Thank you for your kind comment my friend. It’s always a pleasure to read your interesting words. 🙂
Great series, HJ! I especially love the one under the pier, beautiful!
Thank you Donna! Yes, the dark background gives emphasis to the subject being predominant white. 🙂
In formative and beautifully illustrated.
Thanks so much Susan! 🙂
Lovely captures of a truly beautiful bird HJ!
Thank you Ashley, it’s the truth. 🙂
Love Snowies. Beautiful pictures, H.J.!
Thank you Lisa. 🙂
Immagini molto spontanee e bellissime
Buon 2018,silvia
Sei sempre generoso con le parole. Lo apprezzo.
Felice 2018!
Wonderful photos,HJ! I love those yellow feet!
Thank you Clare! 🙂
🙂