The plume trade was a sordid business. In breeding season, it has lacy plumes on its head, neck and back. I saw this great egret have three successful strikes during the 20 minutes or so I watched him. Discover the Flyway from Home – Resources for Teachers, Parents & Students Snowy Egret Foraging Behavior. Similar to the Reddish Egret, the Snowy Egret will vary its feeding behavior for the sit and wait approach to walking or running in shallow water to chase its prey. In flight, it is graceful and buoyant, with its neck tucked back against its shoulders and its legs trailing behind. Great Egrets form monogamous pairs each breeding season, though it’s not known whether the pair bond lasts through multiple years. Little Blue Heron vs Snowy Egret. It has white feathers, a yellow patch of skin around its eyes, a black bill and black legs with bright yellow feet. Watch the video of a Snowy Egret foraging for invertebrates and discuss why it uses it foot in such an interesting way. Behavior. This species nests with other wading birds in swamps and mangroves on islands. Last week we watched the snowy chase after fish by running and flying. Adult Snowy Egrets develop long and wispy plumes on their back, head, and neck during the breeding season. While great egrets use two, energy-conserving hunting strategies (standing and stalking), snowy egrets use lots of different and mostly energetic methods. Medium in build, this egret can be identified by its snow white coloration, lengthy sharp black bill, and strikingly yellow lore and feet. The snowy egret is about two feet in length and has a wingspan of about three feet. The Great Egret walks with its neck extended and its wings held close to its body. Cool Snowy Egret Behavior in Florida. Snowy Egret Foraging Behavior. Unlock thousands of full-length species accounts and hundreds of bird family overviews when you subscribe to Birds of the World. (A snowy egret specimen from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s ornithology collections, above, documents the bird’s showy splendor.) habits provide one of the best clues to the identity of foraging birds (see above) wingtips show small dark gray tips on outer primaries (vs all white on Snowy Egret) Common, especially in the south, it may wander far to the north in late summer. The Snowy Egret is a conspicuous and elegant member of the heron family. Males and females look alike. The diet of the snowy egret primarily consists of shrimp, small fish, and small invertebrates. I was down on the west coast of Florida for work a couple weeks ago and had time before my flight on Saturday to sneak out to the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. It's famous, and so I wanted to check it out. In open fields they may also follow cattle or large animals to grab prey as the insects are flushed out by the walking animals. - … Much of this behavior recalls Reddish Egret or Tricolored Heron, and is never engaged in by Great Egret or Little Blue Heron. Posted by NickL at 5:50 PM. Behavior. Energy efficient prey size selection has been noted in both the Snowy Egret and closely related Little Egret {E. … (1973) suggested that egrets use feeding behaviors that maximize energy intake and minimize energy expenditure under specific environmental conditions. The snowy egret begins breeding around late March to early April. A tall, stately white wader of quiet waters. The Snowy Egret. Each species account is written by leading ornithologists and provides detailed information on bird distribution, migration, habitat, diet, sounds, behavior, breeding, current population status, and conservation. It feeds in fresh and salt water habitats within flocks of other wading birds.