Taxonomy/Description

Snowy Egrets are in the family Ardeidae which consists of herons. Snowy Egrets are about 24 inches (61cm) in size. They have a white body with yellow facial skin. Snowy Egrets have wispy plumes on the back of their neck during the breeding season. They are wading birds which means they have long legs and hold their neck in an "S" shape when flying. Their legs and bill are black while their feet are yellow, which distinguishes them from the Great Egret which has a yellow bill and black legs and feet.  Both male and female Snowy Egrets  look similar.

Habitat/Diet

Snowy Egrets tend to like a variety of wetlands of fresh, salt and brackish water. They are very common both along coasts and further inland. The wintering grounds of Snowy Egrets include most of Mexico and Central America, West Indies and Florida. They can been seen breeding in the West Indies, Florida, and Oregon Coast. They are considered to be vagrants in Western New York.

Snowy Egrets usually feed on smaller aquatic and terrestrial insects and vertebrates. Snowy Egrets show an active pursuit of prey in comparison to most other Herons and Egrets. They use their yellow feet to stir mud and flush prey while they are wading in the water. They can be seen feeding following the Glossy Ibis as it stirs up food for the Snowy Egret to capture.

photo M. Noonan

Behavior/Reproduction  

Snowy Egrets are very ground-oriented when it comes to courtship, nesting and feeding. At dusk, Snowy Egrets gather from surrounding areas to form communal roosts. Post-breeding dispersal is very common among Snowy Egrets. After the young hatch, they accompany the adults on long journeys. Many heron species rob other species in order to obtain more food. Snowy Egrets steal a very high percentage of their food items because they are highly aggressive and additionally will do this even when food is not limited.

photo M. Noonan

Snowy Egrets have a monogamous mating system and usually have one brood per year. They nest in colonies and many times in mixed colonies that contain more than one species. The male will collect nest material and the female will build it. The female will lay 3-5 light bluish-green eggs and both sexes will take turns incubating for 20-24 days. Snowy Egret young are semialtricial which means they are immobile, downy with their eyes open and are fed. Both sexes will care for the young which are ready to leave the nest about 30 days after hatching.

Where to see them in WNY

As a result of these birds being vagrants to this area there is rarely more than a few individuals. If they are found in WNY they will be seen in wetlands and large bodies of water. Historically this species has been found near Buffalo near the water front and more recently in Iroquois NWR.