Snowy Egret

Description:

A medium-sized, slender wading bird with white plumage, a slim black bill, long black legs, and brightly contrasting yellow feet. It stands about two feet tall, and has a three-foot wingspan. Males are slightly larger than females. During the breeding season, adults have long, delicate plumes on their heads, necks, and backs; their yellow feet and lores (the bare skin between the eyes and bill) become redder.

Habitat:

Throughout North America, also found in the Caribbean, Bahamas, Central America, and South America. Found in many types of aquatic habitats, both freshwater and marine. In North America, they generally prefer shallow, sheltered estuarine sites. These feeding areas include salt marsh pools, tidal channels, shallow bays, and mangroves. In the Caribbean, winter migrants nest and roost in mangroves. Snowy Egrets throughout Central America favor lowland areas near freshwater swamps, lakes, and the mouths of large rivers. In South America they tend to prefer coastal mangroves, mudflats, and swamps.