Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Snowy Egret, Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil, Sept 2000 - click for larger image

The Snowy Egret is the New World equivalent of the Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) of the Old World and these two species make up a superspecies.

They are remarkably similar with a black bill, black legs and yellow feet.

There is an excellent page showing the differences between Little Egret and Snowy Egret at Ocean Wanderers.

It inhabits wetlands both on the coast and inland and can be seen high up in the Andes.

For details of the plume trade which nearly led to their extinction, see Great Egret

The yellow up the back of the legs, as can be seen in the 5th photo, indicates an immature bird. Note also its shorter crest and lack of breast plumes when compared to the adult in photos 3 and 4 taken on the same day.

Snowy Egret, Cassino, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, August 2004 - click for larger image

There are illustrations in HBW, Volume 1, Pages 386 and 408 and in Sick, Plate 4.

Snowy Egret, Lago Villarica, Chile, November 2005 - click for larger image

Snowy Egret, mouth of the Lluta River, Arica, Chile, January 2007 - click for larger image

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