Source and Additional Information

Animal Diversity Web
 
Andrea Weslosky
Some rights reserved

Egretta thula walks upright with its wings held close to its body. This upright posture is ideal for foraging, because it allows the egret to make quick directional changes to catch its prey. They are most active at dawn and dusk (crepuscular); they have flying capabilities but do not swim. Snowy egrets engage in various self-maintenance behaviors that include grooming their wings, head-scratching to remove insects on their body, and bathing. Egretta thula spends most of the day resting. Males protect the nesting territories. Egretta thula is a highly social bird that engages in group foraging with other aquatic bird species. Group interaction with other bird species is also common in nesting territories. Snowy egrets avoid predators such as owls, hawks, poisonous snakes, and raccoons. (Parsons and Master, 2000; Robbins, 1966)

Home Range

We do not have information on home range for this species at this time.

Communication and Perception

Source and Additional Information

Animal Diversity Web
 
Andrea Weslosky
Some rights reserved

Egretta thula communicates through sound vocalizations and posture. Young birds produce soft, buzzing calls and mature birds produce high and low-pitched calls. High-pitched calls signify plentiful foraging sites and low-pitched calls signify aggressive situations. Greeting calls are common among egrets. Only males tend to use high sound vocalizations, especially to attract a female mate. Communication sounds are also used to defend the territory surrounding the nest. An egret's upright posture with fully erect feathers marks the onset of an attack on another bird. (Howell and Webb, 1995; Parsons and Master, 2000)