Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Snowy Egret

Egretta thula (Molina, 1782)

371 gWeight

The snowy egret (Egretta thula) is a small white heron.

Busiest months: April · Most records: United States, Mexico, Argentina

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April · Most records: United States, Mexico, Argentina

Snowy Egret has been recorded at 1,822 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 54 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water RanchUnited States24,436 records
  2. Estero Llano Grande SP WBCUnited States23,016 records
  3. Parker River NWRUnited States18,987 records
More places
  1. IRWD San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary, IrvineUnited States17,646 records
  2. Edwin B. Forsythe NWRUnited States17,488 records
  3. Fort De Soto ParkUnited States16,242 records
  4. Merritt Island NWR – Black Point Wildlife DriveUnited States15,415 records
  5. Bombay Hook National Wildlife RefugeUnited States14,931 records
  6. Cape Island – South Cape May MeadowsUnited States14,659 records
  7. Sweetwater Wetlands ParkUnited States13,397 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesMexicoArgentinaChileCosta RicaBrazilColombiaPeru

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The snowy egret (Egretta thula) 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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Snowy Egret?

The Snowy Egret weighs around 371 g.

Where does the Snowy Egret live?

Its breeding range: North America, Middle America, South America: widespread. It is most often recorded in United States, Mexico and Argentina.

When is the best time to see the Snowy Egret?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Snowy Egret endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Snowy Egret as Least Concern.

What does the Snowy Egret eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Snowy Egret in?

It belongs to the family Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae), order Pelecaniformes.

At a glance

Weight
371 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
253 mm
Tail
110 mm
Bill
86 mm
Tarsus
93 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America, Middle America, South America: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Herons, Bitterns Ardeidae
Genus
Egretta

Other birds in the genus Egretta

Little Blue HeronLittle Blue HeronEgretta caeruleaTricolored HeronTricolored HeronEgretta tricolorReddish EgretReddish EgretEgretta rufescensSlaty EgretSlaty EgretEgretta vinaceigulaBlack HeronBlack HeronEgretta ardesiacaPacific Reef HeronPacific Reef HeronEgretta sacraChinese EgretChinese EgretEgretta eulophotesLittle EgretLittle EgretEgretta garzettaWestern Reef HeronWestern Reef HeronEgretta gularisPied HeronPied HeronEgretta picataWhite-faced HeronWhite-faced HeronEgretta novaehollandiae
Snowy Egret

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Roberto Daniel Avila. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages