A Snowy Egret I spotted during our beach vacation near Santa Barbara, California. Photos were taken with my iPhone during a beach walk.
Scientific name: Egretta thula
Genus: Ardea
I learned that herons and egrets both belong to the genus Ardea and that there is no scientific difference between the two. Egrets are white and herons are blue or other colors. That’s it.
The Snowy Egret has white plumage with a black beak and legs. They have a yellow streak on their faces behind their beaks. Their feet are bright yellow and called golden slippers. The brightly colored feet are helpful in herding small aquatic creatures while the Snowy Egret forages in shallow waters.
When they are breeding, the adults grow wispy long plumes which were in demand for ladies’ hats in the 1880s. The plumes were valued at twice the price of gold. Many Snowy Egrets lost their lives because of their valuable feathers.
SIZE and SHAPE:
Snowy Egrets are long, thin herons with a long neck, long legs and beak.
- Length: 22.1-26.0 in (56-66 cm)
- Weight: 13.1 oz (370 g)
- Wingspan: 39.4 in (100 cm)
RANGE:
FOOD:
They eat aquatic animals including fish, crustaceans, frogs, worms and insects. They forage in mud flats, along the shore, marshes and tidal flats and eat while standing up.
NESTING:
The male will start building a nest before finding a mate. He’ll select a location at the top of a tree, shrub or vines. When the male finds a mate, the two will finish building the nest together. It’s a shallow oval of grasses, twigs, rushes and moss from 14 to 18 inches across and eight to 13 inches high.
The male and female share the job of incubating their eggs. A Snowy Egret clutch usually has three to five eggs. They also share feeding their chicks. Snowy Egrets do not mate for life, but are monogamous for each breeding season.
CALLS:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Egret/sounds
It’s a beautiful bird and the feet really look golden.
I saw one on a beach walk this morning and got a video of it. I had no idea the golden feet had a purpose.
Very beautiful feet
😊
And to think, I’ve called herons egrets, and egrets herons. I egret that mistake.
Many birds will killed in the 1800s and early 1900s, to satisfy the fashion industry’s demand for feathers. As a result, a law was passed in 1918, making it illegal to own the feathers of native birds. That may have helped save the egret, as well as a number of other bird species in our country.
Ha! You are to punny. Thank goodness for the law passed in 1918. Otherwise egrets would be extinct.
And that would be egretful to be so egret-less.
😂
They are beautiful birds, so graceful in flight. Taking the feathers for fashion is ridiculous… Those legs! So long.
I learned so much about egrets writing this post. I had no idea about the fashion trend. It was ridiculous.
Ooh, I love that the series is expanding out to CA. The Snowy Egret is a real beauty.
Yes! California it is. Our vacation lined up perfectly with my lack of new Arizona birds.
How interesting that they are the same as herons. And the range map is fascinating. I guess that white strip where they aren’t in South America is the Andes?
Yes, I think you’re right about the egrets avoiding the Andes. I always thought egrets and herons were separate species.
Wow…so much I don’t know, Elizabeth! Thank you much! ❤️❤️❤️
This was a fun one to write. I learned so much, too!
Me, too! So good! ❤️😎❤️
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The killing of creatures for fashion disgusts me and breaks my heart. What a world.
Thankfully that is against the law now. So maybe we’re improving?
Beautiful, graceful birds. Sad so many were killed for their feathers 🪶 Glad a law was passed against it. Hope you are having great weather and a good time!
Thanks! I was going to skip Bird of the Week Challenge until post vacation, but I learned too many interesting facts about the Snowy Egret. It’s gorgeous weather, especially compared to the hot desert. It took me a couple days to relax, but I’m good now!
Wonderful! Keep enjoying it.
I am glad you posted. Fun to learn more about them.
Glad you enjoyed it! My son and his wife are on their way from the Bay Area to spend a week with us now. Better and better.
Awesome! 🥰
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