Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
The Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) is a common herons, egrets, and bittern found in 58 countries, weighing about 371 g. The snowy egret is a small white heron.
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.
How to identify it
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)
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United Kingdom, Falkland Islands, Germany, Iceland.
When to see it
The Snowy Egret can be seen all year round, with peak activity in April. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Snowy Egret?
- 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. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Snowy Egret?
- The Snowy Egret is a large sized bird weighing about 371 g.
- Where can you see a Snowy Egret?
- The Snowy Egret occurs in 58 countries, including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Costa Rica.
- What birds look similar to a Snowy Egret?
- The Snowy Egret is most easily confused with the Little Egret, the Little Blue Heron and the Tricolored Heron.
- Is the Snowy Egret endangered?
- The Snowy Egret is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Snowy Egret for real
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