The Story
I photographed this Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) at Gatorland in Orlando, Florida, United States, in November 2020, with its yellow lores and black bill and its feathers ruffled by a breeze. Its fine plumes were once so prized that hunting reduced the species to dangerously low numbers. Now protected in the United States under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, its population has rebounded. It breeds in mixed colonies, where the male starts the nest and the female finishes it with material he brings. 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 1/3200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 400. Roseate Spoonbills, unusual this far inland, have visited the park for several years and have nested there successfully.
©2024 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