| Snowy Egret (Egretta thula (Molina, 1782)) |
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Scientific name: Egretta thula (Molina, 1782) Common name: Snowy Egret French name: Aigrette neigeuse Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Ardeidae Size: Body size: 56 to 66 cm; Wingspan: 90 to 105 cm; Weight: 360 to 380g. Habitat: Wetlands, mangroves, coastal marshes. Food: Fishes, crustaceans, insects, amphibians and small reptiles caught in shallow water. Nesting: The Snowy Egret often nests in colonies. The nest is located in a tree at about 10 metres high, but also sometimes on the ground. This is a platform made of twigs intertwined together. Females lay 3 to 6 eggs from January to July depending on latitude. Migration: Birds of North America migrate southwards in winter. Geographic area: North America, Central America, South America, the Caribbean. |
The Snowy Egret is a completely white medium sized heron with a black bill, black legs and yellow feet. The loral spots (area ahead of the eye to above the base of the bill) are yellow. They turn to reddish, pinkish or orange during the breeding period. In nuptial plumage, adults bears long silky feathers on the chest and on the head and recurve feathers on the back. The feet turn to orange. Immature birds show a yellow stripe behind the legs. |
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This picture was shot in Kourou, next to the departure jetty for boats going to the Iles du Salut. The body size, the colour of the bill and the yellow loral spots are enough to easily confirm the Snowy Egret species. |
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I should have been a little more patient to shoot a picture of the yellow feet which should have been out of water at some point. You can see like the beginning of a nuptial plumage with long feathers starting from the top of the head and some recurve feathers on the back. |
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This Snowy Egret observed at the Grand-Étang des Salines was kind enough to show me its yellow foot. |
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The Grand-Étang des Salines is equipped with an observation footbridge that allows you to get very close to the birds. |
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Taking off. |
André Bon July 2023
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