The Snowy Egret
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Snowy Egrets inhabit marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, and shallow coastal areas and tidal flats. In the 19th and early 20th century, they were hunted to near extinction for their beautiful white feathers.
Babysitting! I'd rather be fishing.
Description
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The Snowy Egret is a small, all-white heron measuring 20 to 27 inches in height. They have a slim black bill and long black legs with yellow feet. It has a patch of skin above the upper bill that is yellow, but turns red during breeding season. Its plumage changes during breeding season as well. Rather than the smooth sleek plumage, it sports long lacy plumes on its head and back. The juveniles are similar in appearance, but they have a green or yellow line running down the back of their legs. Range and Habitat
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The Snowy Egret can be found in some inland areas, but prefers the coastland marshes. It can be found along the Atlantic, pacific, and Gulf coast. The northern birds will migrate southward but the birds residing in temperate climates remain in their breeding habitat year-round. They are routinely spotted in salt marshes, swamps, ponds, tidal flats, and coastal bays. Snowy Egret
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At one time the Snowy Egret's feathers were used to decorate women's hats. Their numbers dropped drasticly before fashion finally changed and the demand dropped off.
Great Reading
Mating and Nesting
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The Snowy Egret nests in large colonies with other waders. The male selects the breeding area, but they both build the nest. It's a team effort with the male collecting the materials and the female constructing it. The nest is usually located in pile of twigs on the ground, in a bush or in a tall tree. The norm is a bush or tree about 5 feet off the ground. The female lays 3 to 4 bluish-green eggs and are incubated by both adults. The eggs hatch three weeks later. Both parents care for the young feeding them with regurgitated food. The young start branching (hopping out onto branches close to the nest) around 20 to 25 days, and leave the nest a few days later. Snowy Egrets will follow along behind domestic animals eating the insects stirred up by their passing.
Voice
The Snowy Egret has two distinct sounds, a low croak and a bubbly walla-walla-walla. More Snowy Egrets
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Diet
The Snowy Egrets eat fish, crustaceans, frogs, and insects. They have several different hunting techniques. They will stalk their prey in shallow water, running or shuffling their feet to flush their prey into view, or they can fly low over the water and dip down to grab its prey. Another alternative is to stand still and wait for the fish to swim into range. Snowy Egrets will often roost with other heron,or even the Red Ibises.
Nature at its best.
Birds at Risk
Silence of the Songbirds: How We Are Losing the World's Songbirds and What We Can Do to Save Them
This book explores the current conditions of songbirds and their habitats.
Amazon Price: $18.21 (as of 08/30/2008)
Birder's Conservation Handbook: 100 North American Birds at Risk
This book includes information on the status of many of the North American birds, as well as lists of environmental organizations.
Amazon Price: $25.55 (as of 08/30/2008)
The Race to Save the World's Rarest Bird: The Discovery and Death of the Po'ouli
Amazon Price: $18.21 (as of 08/30/2008)
Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet
Amazon Price: (as of 08/30/2008)
The American Bird Conservancy Guide to the 500 Most Important Bird Areas in the United States: Key Sites for Birds and Birding in All 50 States
This book has a wide-range of information for conservationists, field biologists, birder, and students.
Amazon Price: $18.94 (as of 08/30/2008)
Elizabeth's Websites
- South Carolina Birder
- An information blog on wild birds, birdwatching, and creating a backyard bird sanctuary.
- Elizabeth Jean Allen, Author Page
- Elizabeth Jean Allen grew up in rural Minnesota, but has spent most of her adult life on the shores of South Carolina. She currently resides in Charleston, SC with her husband Chris and their two sons, Charles and Gregory. She spends the bulk of the year teaching high school science, and spends what little free time she has, reading, writing, and studying the birds.
Remember the Birds
Art Poster Print - Snowy Heron Or White Egret - Artist: John James Audubon - Poster Size: 22 X 26 inches
Amazon Price: (as of 08/30/2008)
See the Snowy Egret through John James Audubon's eyes.
Lizzy's Lenses
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Busy Lizzy's Backyard Birds
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As we go through life, some sights and events have a profound impact on our lives, while others flitter past unnoticed. Some passions can be traced back to that single pivotal point while others grow seemingly unnoticed for years. I am a morning pers...
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Busy Lizzy's Birds of Prey
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Birds of Prey or Raptors are birds that usually hunt on the wing. They use their keen sense of sight to spot prey, swoop down, and capture it. They usually have large, powerful beaks and talons for tearing and piercing the flesh of their prey.
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Busy Lizzy's Aquatic Birds
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Aquatic birds live on or near bodies of water. They acquire their food from the water, the shorelines, or animals within the same region. They include seabirds, such as gulls, pelicans, albatrosses, and ducks, swans and geese.
Great Gift Ideas
Isle of SquidCheck out the lenses on the Isle of Squid. They are arranged by topic making it easy to find the ones you like.
Have you seen any interesting birds lately?
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Joan4
Beautiful site! Welcome again to South Carolina group! Your lenses are always a joy! Posted August 11, 2008 |
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Pampaws
I'm glad you found me, my favorite passtime is bird watching, love your bird sites Posted June 22, 2008 |
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lhiller
one of my fav birds - love your lens Posted June 02, 2008 |
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EelKat
I see these almost every day in the summer, cause our land boarders a swamp. They are so beautiful! Posted May 16, 2008 |
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Crystal_Booth
Beautiful lens. Thanks for sharing! Posted April 08, 2008 |
Popular Bird Blogs
Resources
Peterson, T.P. & Peterson, V.M. 2002. Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, N.Y.
Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology
The Snowy Egret, Department of Environmental Protection
The Snowy Egret, Salt Grass Flats
Seattle Audubon Society
