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Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
41.6656, -71.4402
Field Notes
Description:
It was hard to tell whether it was a snowy egret of a great white heron (Ardea alba) because I wasn't very close and they look so similar but since it was small I think it is a snowy egret. Adults are typically 24 in long and weigh 13.2 oz. They have a slim black bill and long black legs with yellow feet. The area of the upper bill, in front of the eyes, is yellow but turns red during the breeding season, when the adults also gain recurved plumes on the back, making for a "shaggy" effect. The juvenile looks similar to the adult, but the base of the bill is paler, and a green or yellow line runs down the back of the legs.
Habitat:
Their breeding habitat is large inland and coastal wetlands from the lower Great Lakes and southwestern United States to South America. The breeding range in eastern North America extends along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from Maine to Texas, and inland along major rivers and lakes. They nest in colonies, often with other waders, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. Their flat, shallow nests are made of sticks and lined with fine twigs and rushes. The birds eat fish, crustaceans, insects and small reptiles.
Notes:
(Sorry it isn't close up, it was taken by a blackberry phone)
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