Snowy Egret - Ross Feldner

This slender, elegant egret with perfectly white plumage was once in great peril. Its arching plumes were in great demand by the fashion industry for decorating women’s clothing and hats. The Snowy Egret’s population was reduced to dangerously low levels during the 19th century until protections were enacted that brought a rapid recovery. It is now protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Platform stick nests are built by both sexes and are placed in trees, shrubs and sometimes on or near the ground in marshes. Most colonies contain several species of wading birds, often with hundreds of them congregating in raucous communities of less than an acre.

Snowy Egrets are sensitive to human disturbance at breeding colonies and to environmental contaminants such as pesticides and oil. It is important to note that because of their position in the food chain, Snowy Egrets and other wading birds are considered excellent biological indicators of the health of our wetland ecosystems.