English            -            Snowy Egret

 Portuguese    -            Garça-branca-pequena

 Latin                -            Egretta thula

A beautiful, graceful and elegant small egret, very active in its feeding behaviour in shallow waters. Known by its contrasting yellow feet. 

Adults are typically 61 cm long and weigh 375 g. They have a slim black bill and long black legs with yellow feet. The area of the upper bill, in front of the eyes, is yellow but turns red during the breeding season, when the adults also gain recurved plumes on their backs, making for a “shaggy” effect. The juveniles looks similar to the adults, but the base of their bills are paler, and a green or yellow line runs down the back of the legs. 

Snowy egrets are permanent residents in most of South and Central America. Widespread in many types of aquatic habitats, including fresh and salt water. In coastal areas they may seek sheltered bays. Inland they favours extensive marshes and other large wetlands. 

Often forages actively, walking or running in shallow water, also stands still and waits for prey to approach. May stir bottom sediments with feet to startle prey into motion. Sometimes hovers and then drops to water. Also may feed in open fields, sometimes following cattle to catch insects flushed by the animals. Their diet Includes fish, crabs, crayfish, frogs, snakes, insects, snails, worms, lizards, and rodents. 

They nest and breed in colonies, often mixed with other species of wading birds. Male selects nest site, usually in trees, shrubs and mangroves, sometimes near or on the ground and displays at the nest site to ward off rivals and to attract a mate. Displays can include pointing bill straight up, raising all plumes, and pumping head up and down while calling. Also flies in circles around nest site; flies high and then tumbles down. The nest is built by both sexes and is a platform of sticks. The male collects the materials and the female does the constructing. The female lays three to five eggs and both parents share incubation duties. The eggs hatch in about three weeks. Both parents care for the chicks and feed them regurgitated food. The chicks fledge when they are about a month old. 

Just like the Great Egret, the Snowy Egret was once highly sought after for its delicate, curved back plumes, which were used in the hat-making trade. Plundering of this species for its plumes began around 1880 and populations declined as a result of this exploitation. Public outrage over the neglect of snowy egret populations led to this species obtaining protection in the US in 1910, and its population subsequently mounted a remarkable recovery. Today the snowy egret population is continuing to increase in both number and range. Therefore this species is now classed as a species “of least concern”.

Photo # 1 was taken at Praia da Costa - Vila Velha - Espirito Santo 

Photo # 2 was taken a Ilha do Frade - Vitoria - Espirito Santo