Snowy Egret
Snowy Egret has declined: down 30% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
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 619 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 37 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
- Family
- Ardeidae · Wetland birds
Notable Snowy Egret TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
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 rise about 38% by 2029 — from 0.24 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.33 (95% range 0.00–0.67). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±47.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
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 Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Snowy Egret Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 30% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.