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Egretta thula Molina, 1782
Snowy Egret
Florida native
Florida Species of Special Concern
A resident of Florida and along the gulf coast to Mexico, the Pacific coast of Southern California and Mexico and most of South America east of the Andes. During breeding season the range extends north along the eastern seaboard into Maine, up the Mississippi River to Tennessee, north through Texas into Oklahoma and most of the Rocky Mountain states. Can be seen as a migrant or vagrant in most other states and the exteme south of Canada.
Entirely white at all stages of life, during breeding shows long, lacy plumes on the back, chest and crown. Feet are yellow with black legs that are dark green and sometimes with some yellow in immature birds. Bill slender and black and the lores are yellow. 60 cm (24") in length with a wingspan just over a meter (41").
Egretta thula is a member of the Ardeidae - Herons & Bitterns family.
Other species of the Egretta genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Egretta caerulea - LITTLE BLUE HERON
Egretta rufescens var. rufescens - REDDISH EGRET
Egretta tricolor - TRICOLORED HERON
iNaturalist profile for this species
For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds page for this species
Date record last modified: Nov 17, 2023
