Bird: Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Height: 24"

Identification: Bright white heron with a black bill. Skin at base of bill and around eyes is yellow and turns red during breeding. Often raises crest on head. During breeding, long ornamental plumes grow on back, chest and neck. Legs of breeding adult are black with bright yellow feet. Non-breeding adult also has yellow on the back of the legs. Immature is like non-breeding adult, but the yellow is very pronounced on back of legs.

Voice: A very harsh and throaty "arrrrh". Audio is available at eNature.com.

Feeding: Snowy Egrets often feed in groups, but are aggressive toward one another and other species while doing so. They may sprint around while chasing prey. They eat minnows and shrimp. I have watched a Snowy Egret that was feeding solitarily wading slowly and vibrating its feet with every step. It was a cold morning, and someone suggested to me that the bird was shivering. The Stokes Guide suggests that this behavior is performed to attract fish.

Behavior at Wakodahatchee: The Snowy Egret is an aggressive bird and will display by raising its crest and plumes on wings whenever another Snowy Egret approaches. However, Snowy Egrets are often found peacefully roosting or actively and noisily feeding in groups. Their aggression is not limited to their own species.

Click here for more information on The Snowy Egret from eNature.com

Snowy Egrets are not as common at Wakodahatchee as they are on the west coast of Florida. Nonetheless, a group of them can often be found on winter mornings, roosting in the area of the Third Gazebo. Some of the pictures on this page were taken at The Ding Darling Preserve on Sanibel Island. They were taken during a "feeding frenzy" during which about 20 Snowy Egrets chattered loudly and fought within very small feeding territories. This behavior may attract other birds to the area, in search of potentially good feeding.

Immature Snowy Egret (Part of roost around third gazebo)