The
Snowy Egret is a beautiful, small, graceful egret known for it's
contrasting yellow feet. Following great reductions in numbers in the
early 1900's due to the plume trade, protection of the bird brought
back the population and it is now more widespread and common than
ever.
It
often forages actively, walking or running in shallow water but can
also be observed standing still and waiting patiently for prey to
approach. The Snowy Egret feeds on fish, insects, crabs, crayfish,
frogs, snakes, lizards and small rodents. With such a varied diet,
there is no shortage of food around Southwest Florida and it's
barrier islands. The Snowy Egret can be observed in a variety of
habitats, from the quiet thick wooded edges of freshwater wetlands to
the tumultuous shoreline of our local beaches.
Florida
hosts the Snowy Egret all throughout the year along with other states
in the Southeast and southern California. Migration is common for
birds that breed in the Northeastern United States, with some birds
documented to travel south into Mexico and further into South America
during our winter months.
The
key I.D. features for the Snowy Egret are the medium size of the
bird, the yellow skin at the base of the bill, black legs and yellow
feet. Keep your eyes out for this one, a common yet beautiful bird
all around the islands.