# Snowy Egret

Scientific name: Egretta thula

Bird group: [heron](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/heron)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/158/Snowy-Egret

## Identification

The snowy egret (Egretta thula) is a small white heron. The genus name comes from Provençal French for the little egret, aigrette, which is a diminutive of aigron, 'heron'. The species name thula is the Araucano term for the black-necked swan, applied to this species in error by Chilean naturalist Juan Ignacio Molina in 1782.
Adult snowy egrets are entirely white apart from the yellow lores between the long black bill and the eye, black legs, and bright yellow feet. The nape and neck bear long, shaggy plumes known as aigrettes. Immature snowy egrets have duller, greenish legs.


## Distribution and habitat

The Snowy Egret occurs through most of the Western Hemisphere 
including the West Indies 
(Raffaele and others 1998). It is a 
common and permanent resident 
in Puerto Rico and can be seen 
regularly at the Boquerón Nature 
Reserve and the salt fl ats of 
Cabo Rojo (Oberle 2018). It is 
also present on Culebra and 
Vieques islands (Ventosa-Febles 
and others 2005), in the latter 
being common during winter 
and spring, uncommon in fall, 
and rare in summer (Gemmill 
2015). Habitat includes mostly 
freshwater swamps, riverbanks 
(Raffaele and others 1998), 
lagoons, marshes, ponds, mangroves, and salt fl ats (Oberle 
2018). The atlas fieldwork 
yielded a total of 232 records 
within 158 hexagons or 33 
percent of the 479 total hexagons 
(see map). Of the 158 where this 
species was found, breeding met 
the atlas definition of confirmed 
in 8 percent (12) of the hexagons 
and probable in 1 percent (2), 
while the species was observed 
in 91 percent (144) of the 
hexagons but without evidence 
of breeding (see map). Snowy Egret distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in 
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding. 

## Breeding

Previously published reports indicate that the Snowy Egret 
breeds from April to July and 
also in October (Raffaele and       149Snowy Egret/Garza Blancaothers 1998). Nesting is often colonial with other heron species 
(Biaggi 1997, Oberle 2018, 
Raffaele and others 1998), and 
the nest is made of sticks and 
usually built in mangroves and 
swamps (Oberle 2018, Raffaele 
and others 1998). Atlas results 
show that this species breeds 
from February to July with the 
most breeding activity during 
March, April, and June (see 
chart). Overall, the breeding 
activity peaks during March and 
June, and mostly takes place 
within the subtropical moist 
forest life zone (see chart). Results show that this species 
breeds mostly in lowlands within 
the subtropical moist forest 
life zone (64 percent of the 
hexagons) (see table), but it also 
breeds in subtropical wet and 
subtropical dry forest life zones 
as well (29 and 7 percent of the 
hexagons, respectively) (see 
table and map).

## Conservation

The current overall population trend of the Snowy Egret 
is described as increasing. 
However, some populations may be stable, and others have 
unknown trends (Wetlands 
International 2012). This species 
is currently listed as a species 
of least concern by the IUCN 
(BirdLife International 2016). 
Locally, this species is not 
listed in any of the threatened 
categories of PRDNER and 
USFWS. In Puerto Rico, the 
Snowy Egret has a protected 
habitat in land of 4 percent or 
15 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons where evidence 
of breeding was found for this 
species (335 km2).

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_158_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_158_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.