A white snowy egret with a black bill wading in shallow water. — Photo: Chuck Homler, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Snowy Egret

Egretta thula

An all-white heron of the Americas with a black bill and bright yellow feet, famous for its lacy breeding plumes.

🪿 Wading Birds

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About the Snowy Egret

Snowy egrets live throughout North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, in salt marshes, tidal channels, shallow bays and mangroves. They are 22 to 26 inches long with a wingspan of about 3 feet and weigh about 13 ounces. They are all white with a slender black bill, black legs and yellow feet. They eat mostly fish, plus crabs, shrimp, insects, worms and frogs.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Egretta thula^[1]
Size: 22 to 26 inches long, with a wingspan of about 3 feet.^[1]
Weight: About 13 ounces.^[1]
Lifespan: Usually 2 to 17 years; the oldest known lived almost 23.^[1]
Diet: Mostly fish and crustaceans, plus insects, worms, frogs, lizards and snakes.^[1]
Habitat: Salt marshes, tidal channels, shallow bays and mangroves.^[1]
Where it lives: North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2025).^[2]

Fun facts

A snowy egret's feet turn orange in breeding season.^[1]
It uses more ways to catch food than any other heron.^[1]
Breeding adults grow lacy plumes on the breast.^[1]

Vocabulary

egret: A kind of heron, usually white.
plume: A long, showy feather.
salt marsh: A coastal wetland flooded by salty tides.
lore: The area between a bird's eye and its beak.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Simmons Aviary and LagoonSee this area on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan. “Snowy egret (Egretta thula).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Egretta_thula/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Egretta thula (Snowy Egret).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22696974/281845566 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Wading Birds

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Marabou StorkLeptoptilos crumeniferA huge, bald-headed African stork that feeds mostly on dead animals and often gathers near lakes, rivers, garbage dumps and fishing villages.Northern Bald IbisGeronticus eremitaA glossy black ibis with a bald red head, also called the waldrapp, that was once common in Europe and is now one of the world's rarest birds.Roseate SpoonbillPlatalea ajajaA bright pink wading bird of the Americas that sweeps its spoon-shaped bill through shallow water to catch food.Scarlet IbisEudocimus ruberA bright red wading bird of northern South America that feeds mostly on crayfish and small crabs.Straw-Necked IbisThreskiornis spinicollisAn Australian ibis with straw-like neck feathers and a shiny back, nicknamed the "farmer's friend" for eating grasshoppers.Wattled CraneBugeranus carunculatusA tall African wetland crane with flaps of skin hanging from its chin that shrink when it's nervous and lengthen when it's excited.White StorkCiconia ciconiaA big white-and-black bird with a red bill that breeds in Europe, winters in Africa and inspired the story of storks delivering babies.White-Naped CraneGrus vipio (also called Antigone vipio)A tall gray-and-white crane of East Asian wetlands with a red face and pink legs, famous for its dancing.Yellow-Billed StorkMycteria ibisA tall white African stork with a bright yellow bill and red face that feels for fish and frogs in shallow water.