Connecticut Audubon Society

WILDLIFE IN CONNECTICUT: SNOWY EGRET

The snowy egret was once a common nester in Connecticut. Widespread killing of egrets for the millinery trade nearly caused the species to be extirpated from the state by the late 1800s. Market hunters for their beautiful breeding plumes decimated snowy egret populations early in the 20th century.
The establishment of protective laws put an end to the plume trade, which was also a victory for Connecticut Audubon founder Mabel Osgood Wright and other regional conservationists who worked together to press legislators for the passage of the Federal International Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Since that time, the population has been recovering slowly. A substantial increase in population numbers was observed in the 1950s. Snowy egrets resumed nesting in Connecticut in 1961. Since the mid-1980s, snowy egrets have been observed using coastal areas in the state during the summer, but breeding population levels still remain relatively low.

Identification: The snowy egret is a medium-sized, white heron with a slender, black bill, black legs and yellow feet. The area of the upper bill, in front of the eyes, is yellow but turns red during the breeding season. Showy, recurved plumes are present on the back during the breeding season. The snowy egret is much smaller than the great egret.

Range: The snowy egret occurs from the United States and southern Canada, south through Central America, the West Indies, South America, and Argentina. In eastern North America, snowy egrets winter along the Gulf Coast and in Florida, as well as north along the Atlantic Coast to New Jersey. The breeding range in eastern North America extends along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from Maine to Texas, and inland along major rivers and lakes.

Habitat: Marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, shallow coastal areas and tidal flats; occasionally found in dry fields.

Weight: Up to 13 ounces
Length: 20-27 inches
Wingspan: 41 inches
Life Expectancy:
In captivity, snowy egrets have lived over 16 years of age.

Food: Fishes, shrimp, crayfish, fiddler crabs, snakes, snails, aquatic and terrestrial insects, small lizards, young frogs and aquatic vegetation.

Status: Threatened species in Connecticut

Reproduction: This highly colonial bird usually nests in mixed colonies with other herons. Both fresh and saltwater habitats are used as nesting areas. The flat, shallow nests are made of sticks and lined with fine twigs and rushes. They are usually built in trees or shrubs; nests built on the ground are more common in the west. The breeding season begins in mid-April but varies with yearly weather patterns. Both adults incubate the 3 to 4 greenish-blue, oval eggs. The young leave the nest in 20-25 days and hop about on branches near the nest before departing.

Interesting Facts: While feeding in shallow areas of ponds and marshes, snowy egrets use one foot to stir up the bottom, flushing prey into view. Snow egrets will also hover, then drop to the water to catch prey with their bills. Immature little blue herons and snowy egrets closely resemble one another, except that snowy egrets have yellow bills and showy plumes. The snowy egret has also been known as the lesser egret, little egret, little snowy, little white egret and little white heron.

What You Can Do: Encouraging the protection and conservation of the state’s remaining coastal and freshwater wetlands, as well as offshore islands, will help snowy egrets as well as other wildlife. To reduce disturbance to colonial nesting birds, such as the snowy egret, avoid travel and recreation near nesting areas during breeding season. Do not allow pets to roam freely in coastal or wetland habitats.

This information has been provided courtesy of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection- Wildlife Division.

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