Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) is in the Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns family (Ardeidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 127,766 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in April.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Snowy Egret: observations by month (U.S.)
About Snowy Egret
The snowy egret (Egretta thula) is a small white heron. The genus name comes from the Provençal French for the little egret aigrette, a diminutive of aigron, "heron". The species name thula is the Araucano for the Black-necked Swan, applied to this species in error by Chilean naturalist Juan Ignacio Molina in 1782.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Snowy Egret by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 59,018 | January | Dec–Nov |
| Texas | 23,782 | April | Mar–Feb |
| Florida | 20,345 | January | Dec–Nov |
| South Carolina | 3,590 | March | Feb–Jan |
| Arizona | 2,078 | January | Sep–Jul |
| Colorado | 1,852 | May | Apr–Sep |
| New Jersey | 1,791 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Louisiana | 1,638 | April | Mar–Feb |
| Massachusetts | 1,556 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Delaware | 1,206 | August | Apr–Oct |
| New York | 1,145 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Virginia | 942 | May | Apr–Oct |
| Georgia | 884 | May | Apr–Mar |
| Maryland | 849 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Utah | 801 | May | Apr–Sep |
| North Carolina | 782 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Connecticut | 644 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Nevada | 569 | September | Aug–May |
| New Mexico | 548 | April | Apr–Jun |
| Maine | 542 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Alabama | 490 | April | Mar–Feb |
| Mississippi | 483 | April | Dec–Oct |
| Oklahoma | 383 | April | Apr–Sep |
| Ohio | 267 | May | Apr–May |
| Kansas | 221 | September | Jul–Sep |
| Rhode Island | 191 | June | Apr–Sep |
| Illinois | 160 | August | Aug–Sep |
| Oregon | 141 | May | Apr–Oct |
| Missouri | 136 | May | Apr–Jun |
| Tennessee | 107 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Pennsylvania | 76 | August | Aug–Aug |
| New Hampshire | 75 | August | May–Sep |
| Michigan | 67 | August | Jun–Sep |
| Arkansas | 64 | August | Apr–Sep |
| South Dakota | 53 | April | Apr–May |
| Idaho | 51 | August | May–Sep |
| Indiana | 49 | August | Aug–Sep |
| Minnesota | 47 | May | Apr–Jun |
| Nebraska | 27 | April | Apr–May |
| Vermont | 23 | April | Apr–Jun |
| Wisconsin | 19 | May | Apr–Jun |
| North Dakota | 18 | May | May–Sep |
| Kentucky | 15 | August | Aug–Aug |
| Washington | 13 | February | Feb–May |
| District of Columbia | 8 | May | Apr–Jul |
| Iowa | 8 | April | Apr–May |
| Wyoming | 7 | May | May–May |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related birds (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Photography tips
- Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
- Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
- Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
- Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Snowy Egret?
Nationally, April has the most observations, with the main season from March to February.
Where is Snowy Egret most often seen?
The most observations come from California, Texas, Florida.