Snowy Egret

Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) in dispute over territory, Ogle Seawall, Guyana (Photo by Kester Clarke www.kesterclarke.net)
Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) in dispute over territory, Ogle Seawall, Guyana (Photo by Kester Clarke www.kesterclarke.net)

Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula)are most common along the coast, though they do breed patchily in inland wetlands.

Adult Snowy Egrets are all white with a black bill, black legs, and yellow feet. They have a patch of yellow skin at the base of the bill. Immature Snowy Egrets have duller, greenish legs.

Snowy Egrets concentrate on mudflats, beaches, and wetlands, but also forage in wet agricultural fields and along the edges of rivers and lakes. They wade in shallow water to spear fish and other small aquatic animals. While they may employ a sit-and-wait technique to capture their food, sometimes they are much more animated, running back and forth through the water with their wings spread, chasing their prey.