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THE SNOWY EGRET (Egretta thula) is a small, white heron, which is easy to identify by its yellow feet. Coveted in the 19th century by the hat industry for their beautiful plume feathers, snowy egrets were once decimated to dangerously low levels. The graceful birds, protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, are now to a point where they are considered common again. Snowy egrets forage for food in shallow waters, often using their feet to disturb prey in the silt. Their diet ranges from fish, crabs and frogs to snails, lizards, bugs and even small rodents. They are migratory birds in some parts of the country but are found year-round along the California coastline and to the tip of Baja California. ■ Class: Aves Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Ardeidae Genus: Egretta Species: E. thula
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