Distinguished from the great egret by its smaller size, its black bill, and yellow feet, the snowy egret can often be spotted at the edge of the water or in a marsh.

In the latter part of the 19th century and into the early twentieth, snowy egret plumes were very popular on hats. The result was that these birds were hunted until they were nearly extinct.

Their main foods are fish, crabs, amphibians, and insects.

Snowy egrets breed once a year, and females lay three to five greenish blue eggs that hatch in three to four weeks. Their platform-like nests are built primarily of twigs and are located in trees (about seven feet, more or less, above the ground) or even on the ground.

As with other herons, the crudeness of the nest, the elliptical form of the egg, and other signs suggest to some scientists that these birds are one of the lower forms on the scale of bird life, not far removed from the reptiles, when one reckons in eons of time.

Text courtesy of
The Assateague Naturalist

 

-- Sexes similar
-- Medium-sized long-legged wading bird
-- Usually holds necks in "S" curve in flight
-- Entirely white plumage
-- Thin black bill and yellow facial skin
-- Black legs with yellow feet
-- Shaggy plumes on head, neck, and back in alternate plumage

Great Egret and "Great White" Heron larger with thicker,
yellow bills. Cattle Egret smaller, with shorter, yellow or
orange bill and pale legs. The Reddish Egret can be
similar as white morph immatures, but has a much larger
bill, blue-gray legs and gray lores. Immature Little Blue
Heron has a variably gray- or yellow-based bill with
black tip and can be similar to immature Snowies that
have pale bases to the bills, but always has gray facial
skin, green legs and blue-gray primary tips (best seen in
flight from below and not always visible at rest). Little
Egret, which occurs only rarely in North America, is very
similar but has gray facial skin and two long head plumes
in alternate plumage. .

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