Snowy egrets (Egretta thula) are a small white heron found throughout North America. They are most known for their beautiful white plumage and bright yellow feet. Snowy egrets thrive in wetland habitats and can be found across the United States and parts of Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Snowy Egret Range in the United States
In the United States, snowy egrets breed along the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts, as well as inland across the lower 48 states. They have an extensive range that covers both coastal and interior wetlands.
Along the Atlantic Coast, snowy egrets breed from Maine southward to Florida. Some key breeding areas include:
- Coastal marshes and lagoons of North Carolina
- Coastal South Carolina
- Florida Everglades
On the Gulf Coast, snowy egrets nest along the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Important breeding sites include:
- Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana
- Laguna Madre, Texas
Snowy egrets also breed along the Pacific Coast from Washington to California. Some major breeding areas here include:
- Willapa Bay, Washington
- Humboldt Bay, California
- San Francisco Bay, California
- Coastal wetlands of Southern California
Inland, snowy egrets nest throughout wetlands of the Central Valley of California, the Klamath Basin along the California-Oregon border, wetlands of Nevada, the Snake River Plain of Idaho, eastern montane rivers and wetlands across Colorado and New Mexico, the prairie pothole region, Flint Hills wetlands of Kansas, Sandhill wetlands of Nebraska, playa lakes region of Texas, and scattered sites across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region.
Snowy Egret Range in Canada and Mexico
In Canada, snowy egrets breed locally across southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. The largest concentrations are found along the coasts of James Bay and the St. Lawrence River.
In Mexico, snowy egrets are found along both the Pacific and Gulf coasts. On the Pacific side, they occur from Sonora south to Oaxaca. On the Gulf side, they range from Tamaulipas south to the Yucatan Peninsula. They are abundant in coastal lagoons and estuaries on both coasts.
Central America and the Caribbean
Snowy egrets are widespread throughout wetlands of Central America and the Caribbean islands. Countries and territories where they are known to breed include:
- Belize
- Guatemala
- El Salvador
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
- Panama
- Cuba
- Jamaica
- Dominican Republic
- Puerto Rico
- U.S. Virgin Islands
In these regions, snowy egrets inhabit mangrove swamps, coastal marshes, lagoons, flooded agricultural fields and other wetland habitats.
Preferred Habitats
Across their broad range, snowy egrets utilize a variety of aquatic habitats. Some of their preferred breeding and foraging sites include:
- Coastal marshes
- Coastal lagoons and estuaries
- Mangrove swamps
- Freshwater marshes
- Flooded agricultural fields
- Lake shores and wet meadows
- River floodplains
- Prairie potholes
- Rice fields
Snowy egrets require shallow water for foraging. They are most often found in wetlands with water depths less than 8 inches. Their ideal foraging sites have gently sloping shorelines and an abundance of small fish.
Breeding Habitat
Snowy egrets nest colonially, mixing together with other wading birds like great egrets, great blue herons and tricolored herons. Their nests are platform-shaped and built from sticks positioned a few feet above the water, in vegetation, or occasionally on the ground. Nesting sites are situated over or very close to water in protected wetland areas.
Typical nesting locations include:
- Small islands in marshes or swamps
- Stands of reeds, rushes or mangroves
- Willow thickets
- Marsh grass clumps
Snowy egrets often change nesting sites from year to year. But they show nest site fidelity to areas they have bred successfully in previous years.
Non-Breeding Range
During the non-breeding season, snowy egrets expand their range farther north in North America. On the Atlantic Coast, they winter from Massachusetts south, though some overwinter as far north as New Jersey. On the Gulf Coast, they winter from Florida west to Texas and south into Mexico.
Snowy egrets also winter along the Pacific Coast from Washington south into Mexico. They vacate the northernmost parts of their breeding range where wetlands freeze over in winter. But they can remain as far north as California’s Central Valley and scattered sites across the Southwest.
Coastal Mexico is a very important wintering area for snowy egrets from throughout their U.S. breeding range. The extensive wetlands along Mexico’s Pacific and Gulf coasts host enormous numbers of overwintering birds.
Migration
Snowy egrets migrate between breeding and wintering grounds. Northern populations are migratory, while southern birds may remain in the same region year-round. Migrating egrets travel singly or in small flocks, often mixing with other wading birds.
Fall migration begins in August, ramping up through September and October as birds depart breeding grounds. Spring migration occurs March through May as birds return north and disperse to nesting sites. Exact timing varies by region and weather conditions each year.
Threats and Conservation
Snowy egrets were hunted extensively in the late 1800s and early 1900s for their beautiful plumes, which were used to decorate hats and other clothing items. This drove steep population declines and extinction of some breeding colonies.
Thankfully, conservation measures like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 helped populations recover through much of the 20th century. However, loss of wetland habitats remains an ongoing threat. Coastal breeding sites are also vulnerable to storms, flooding and sea level rise.
To aid snowy egret conservation, important breeding colonies and migratory stopover habitats are protected across federal, state and private lands. Continued wetland preservation and management will be key to ensuring plentiful snowy egret populations into the future.
Conclusion
In summary, snowy egrets are widely distributed across wetlands of North America, Central America and the Caribbean. They breed in both coastal and inland habitats from the Upper Midwest and Northeast south to California and Mexico. Northern populations migrate south for winter, expanding the range farther down the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts. Conservation of key wetland habitats remains vital for maintaining snowy egret populations.