Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Status: State Endangered (1997).

Occurrence: Uncommon migrant. Rare summer resident east. Recent nesting records from lower Green Bay. A map outlining Pre-1977 and 1997 to Present Distribution is available.

Aid to ID: Small snow-white heron with a slim, pointed, black bill; yellow eyes; long legs are all black or black with yellow-green on the back side (juveniles); bright yellow feet; during courtship ("high breeding" stage), lores turn red, feet orange, and have long plumes on head, neck, and back.

Habitat: Ponds, wooded swamp, shallow marsh, bay, or lake islands.

Food Habits: Diet consists of small fishes, frogs, lizards, snakes, crustaceans, worms, snails, grasshoppers, and aquatic insects. Forages by shuffling feet in shallow water to flush out prey.

Natural History:

Breeding: Clutch size: 4-5 pale blue-green eggs; laid in May or June. Incubation: 18 days or longer, by both sexes. Young fledge 20-25 days after hatching.
Nest: Built on ground or in trees and shrubs 5-10 feet up; may nest up to 30 feet high. Often nests in large colonies.

Management Considerations: In general, preservation of wetland habitats where heronries occur. No disturbances of nesting sites within a quarter mile of the site during mid-May to mid-August.