The Story
I photographed this Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) at the Kofán Centro Ecoturístico, near Puerto Asís, Putumayo, Colombia, in February 2020. It uses marshes, riverbanks, lakesides and pools, though not high mountains. It breeds in mixed colonies with other herons, ibises and spoonbills. The male picks a territory and starts the nest, and the female finishes it with material he brings. The young leave the nest after about 22 days. It eats fish, crustaceans, insects, frogs, worms and small reptiles. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 3200, −1 EV. During Puerto Asís’s January Carnival each day has its own color, ending with the crowning of the carnival queen on January 7.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) belongs to the family Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025), with the population trend listed as increasing. Source: IUCN Red List
