Snowy Egret (17073876709)

Description:

Summary[edit] Description: I took this at Basin Cove in Harpswell, Maine. I tried getting closer but it kept moving to maintain a safe distance. There is a bit of red on its bill indicating it is breeding season as stated below. A beautiful bird. The snowy egret (Egretta thula) is a small white heron. It is the American counterpart to the very similar Old World little egret, which has established a foothold in the Bahamas. At one time, the beautiful plumes of the snowy egret were in great demand by market hunters as decorations for women's hats. This reduced the population of the species to dangerously low levels.[citation needed] Now protected in the United States by law, under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, this bird's population has rebounded. The area of the upper bill, in front of the eyes, is yellow but turns red during the breeding season, when the adults also gain recurved plumes on the back, making for a "shaggy" effect. [wikipedia]. Date: 24 April 2015, 17:12. Source: Snowy Egret. Author: Paul VanDerWerf from Brunswick, Maine, USA. Camera location43° 45′ 45.63″ N, 70° 01′ 24.03″ W View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap 43.762674; -70.023343.