Snowy Egret

  Snowy Egret ...

Snowy Egrets are beautiful birds inhabit marshes swamps,ponds,lakes,and shallow coastal areas and tidal flats.

          Snowy Egrets are the beautiful birds that inhabit marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, and shallow coastal areas and tidal flats. . They are fairly common now, but in the 19th and early 20th century, they were hunted to near extinction for their beautiful white feathers.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. 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 temperateclimates remain in their breeding habitat year-round. They are routinely spotted in salt marshes, swamps, ponds, tidal flats, and coastal bays.

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.