Snowy Egret

Snowy Egret Images, Facts and Information:

Egretta thula

  • Snowy Egrets are medium sized wading birds with white plumage, long thin necks, legs and bills and yellow lores and feet. During the breeding season their lores change color to hues between salmon and orange-red.
  • Snowy Egrets were hunted to near extinction in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s for their plumes that were used as decorations on ladies hats. Their plumes at that time sold for nearly twice the amount that gold sold for. Laws were passed to protect them and they have recovered.
  • In some locations Snowy Egrets are year round residents while in others they migrate.
  • Snowy Egrets are found primarily along the coast but they can also be found in inland wetland habitat. Their habitat includes beaches, fresh and saltwater marshes, mudflats, wet agricultural fields, the banks of rivers and lake shorelines.
  • Snowy Egrets eat small crustaceans, fish, insects, small reptiles and amphibians.
  • They are colonial nesters. Snowy Egrets lay 2 to 6 eggs which take about 18 days to hatch. Both sexes incubate.
  • Snowy Egrets have been known to mate with other herons including Tricolored Herons, Little Blue Herons and Cattle Egrets and produced hybrid offspring.
  • Snowy Egrets are also known as “Golden Slippers” because of their yellow feet.
  • A group of egrets can be called a “heronry”, “skewer” and “wedge” of egrets.
  • Snowy Egrets can live up to 22 years.

I hope you enjoy viewing my Snowy Egret photos.

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