Species · BBS 2026 Release · 1966–2025

Snowy Egret Population Analysis

Ardeidae Wetland birdsEgretta thula

Snowy Egret has edged down: down 23% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

-23%Since 1968

621Routes

59Years Surveyed

About the Snowy Egret

The Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) is a North American member of the Herons, Egrets & Bitterns (Ardeidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the wetland birds.

Size: 12–51 in long (30–130 cm) — a long-legged wader (typical for the family)
Habitat: Marshes, ponds, lakeshores and other freshwater wetlands.
Diet: Aquatic invertebrates, small fish, frogs and plant matter.
Range: Recorded on 621 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 38 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
Family: Ardeidae · Wetland birds

Notable Snowy Egret Trends

No notable trend signals for Snowy Egret. See the full index history below.

Snowy Egret Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Snowy Egret is projected to stay roughly flat through 2030, near 0.28 (95% range 0.00–0.94). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±31.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

+5%Change by 2030

0.28Projected 2030 index

0.00–0.9495% range

±31.1%Backtest error

Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.

Year	Projected index	95% high
2026	0.28	0.94
2027	0.28	0.94
2028	0.28	0.94
2029	0.28	0.94
2030	0.28	0.94

Where the Snowy Egret Is Detected

BBS routes recording Snowy Egret, sized by most recent count.

Snowy Egret Population Trend by State

Snowy Egret population trend by state.

Alabama	-49%	1969	29
Arizona	+14%	1980	13
Arkansas	-91%	1988	16
California	+71%	1973	47
Colorado	-83%	1991	9
Connecticut	insufficient data	n/a	3
Delaware	18×	1969	10
Florida	-56%	1968	100
Georgia	-98%	1968	45
Idaho	-86%	1972	5
Illinois	insufficient data	n/a	3
Indiana	insufficient data	n/a	1
Kansas	+698%	1973	6
Kentucky	insufficient data	n/a	1
Louisiana	-90%	1971	72
Maine	insufficient data	n/a	2
Maryland	+144%	1968	12
Massachusetts	-87%	1975	6
Mississippi	+581%	1979	19
Missouri	+4%	1990	5
Nebraska	insufficient data	n/a	2
Nevada	-84%	1990	12
New Jersey	-74%	1980	7
New Mexico	-92%	1970	8
New York	-83%	1972	3
North Carolina	-85%	1969	9
North Dakota	insufficient data	n/a	2
Oklahoma	-48%	1969	30
Oregon	-67%	1977	6
Rhode Island	insufficient data	n/a	2
South Carolina	+14%	1968	7
South Dakota	insufficient data	n/a	2
Tennessee	insufficient data	n/a	3
Texas	+131%	1969	102
Utah	-34%	1970	12
Virginia	-30%	1973	6
Wisconsin	insufficient data	n/a	1
Wyoming	insufficient data	n/a	3

Snowy Egret Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Snowy Egret population trend by Bird Conservation Region.

Great Basin	-2%	1970	34
Northern Rockies	+24%	1991	5
Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau	-95%	1970	9
Shortgrass Prairie	+67%	1996	9
Central Mixed Grass Prairie	-71%	1969	22
Oaks and Prairies	+265%	1974	45
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie	-99%	1993	11
Central Hardwoods	+83%	1986	5
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas	-21%	1970	46
Mississippi Alluvial Valley	25×	1975	50
Southeastern Coastal Plain	-75%	1968	126
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast	+150%	1968	50
Peninsular Florida	-62%	1968	72
Coastal California	+160%	1973	32
Sonoran and Mojave Deserts	-58%	1974	19
Chihuahuan Desert	+99%	1977	10
Tamaulipan Brushlands	-32%	1976	10
Gulf Coastal Prairie	+486%	1969	47

Snowy Egret Conservation Status

Our route-weighted index shows it down about 23% since 1968.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-08-14. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.