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Snowy Egret

Egretta thula

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesWetlandPlatform nestLarge · 371 g
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), photo 1
Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), photo 2
Photo: David Hall · Public domain
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), photo 3
Photo: ImagePerson · CC BY 4.0
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), photo 4
Photo: Arturo Benavides Mendoza · CC BY 4.0
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), photo 5
Photo: Hydrocycler (Elizabeth Dougherty) · CC BY 4.0
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), photo 6
Photo: Hartwig Adam · CC BY 4.0
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), photo 7
Photo: Hartwig Adam · CC BY 4.0
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), photo 8
Photo: Hayes Valentine · CC BY 4.0
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), photo 9
Photo: Hayes Valentine · CC BY 4.0
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), photo 10
Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0

ID tip

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. Immature snowy egrets have duller, greenish legs. Measurements: Length: 22.1–26.0 in (56–66 cm) Weight: 13.1 oz (370 g) Wingspan: 39.4 inches (100 cm)

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Snowy Egret

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is April, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Snowy Egret

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 53 countries with regular records, and 5 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

United States Mexico Brazil Argentina Costa Rica Colombia Chile Peru Belize Panama Ecuador Puerto Rico Uruguay Cuba Honduras Guatemala Venezuela Nicaragua Cayman Islands Trinidad & Tobago El Salvador Dominican Republic Paraguay Bolivia Canada Jamaica Aruba Curaçao Barbados Guadeloupe Bermuda Bahamas Guyana Caribbean Netherlands St. Martin U.S. Virgin Islands French Guiana Antigua & Barbuda Anguilla Suriname St. Lucia Haiti Turks & Caicos Islands St. Kitts & Nevis Grenada Martinique Portugal Dominica Montserrat British Virgin Islands St. Vincent & Grenadines St. Barthélemy St. Pierre & Miquelon

Recorded as a rare visitor in United Kingdom, South Africa, Falkland Islands, Germany, Iceland.

About the Snowy Egret

The snowy egret is a small white heron. The genus name comes from Provençal French for the little egret, aigrette, which is a diminutive of aigron, '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.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) Little EgretEgretta garzettaThe adult little egret is 55–65 cm (22–26 in) long with an 88–106 cm (35–42 in) wingspan, and weighs 350–550 g (12–19 oz). Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Little Blue HeronEgretta caeruleaMales and females have the same coloration. Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolorThis species measures from 56 to 76 cm (22 to 30 in) long and has a typical wingspan of 96 cm (38 in).

Side by side: Little Egret vs Snowy Egret · Little Blue Heron vs Snowy Egret · Snowy Egret vs Tricolored Heron

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