Snowy Egret

Egretta thula

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies)
FamilyArdeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
GenusEgretta (Small Egrets and Herons)
SpeciesEgretta thula (Snowy Egret)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Tikal National Park

2 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026

40,291 Verified sightings across all 112 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Snowy Egret

The snowy egret (Egretta thula) is a small white heron. The genus name comes from Provençal French for the little egret, aigrette, which is a diminutive of aigron, 'heron'. The species name thula is the Mapudungun term for the black-necked swan, applied to this species in error by Chilean naturalist Juan Ignacio Molina in 1782.

The snowy egret is the American counterpart to the very similar Old World little egret, which has become established in the Bahamas. At one time, the plumes of the snowy egret were in great demand as decorations for women's hats. They were hunted for these plumes and this reduced the population of the species to dangerously low levels. Now protected in the United States by law, under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, this bird's population has rebounded.

The snowy egret is native to North, Central and South America. It is present all year round in South America, ranging as far south as Chile and Argentina. It also occurs throughout the year in the West Indies, Florida and coastal regions of North and Central America. Elsewhere, in the southern part of the United States, it is migratory, breeding in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Egretta caerulea

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Egretta tricolor

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Cochlearius cochlearius

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Tigrisoma mexicanum

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Butorides virescens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

LC Endemic

Nyctanassa violacea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Agamia agami

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

LC Endemic

Ardea alba

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Bubulcus ibis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

LC Endemic

Ardea herodias

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Nycticorax nycticorax

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Platalea ajaja

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~80%
2	Paracas National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~70%
3	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~70%
4	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~60%
5	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~60%
6	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
7	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~60%
8	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~50%
9	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
10	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~50%
11	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~50%
12	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
13	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
14	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
15	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
16	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	~40%
17	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~30%
18	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
19	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~30%
20	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
21	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
22	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~20%
23	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
24	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~20%
25	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
26	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
27	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
28	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~20%
29	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
30	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
31	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
32	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
33	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
34	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
35	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~20%
36	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
37	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~20%
38	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~20%
39	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
40	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
41	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
42	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
43	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
44	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
45	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
46	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
47	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
48	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
49	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
50	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
51	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
52	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
53	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
54	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
55	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
56	Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
57	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
58	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
59	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
60	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
61	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
62	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
63	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
64	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
65	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
66	El Palmar National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
67	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
68	Península Valdés	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
69	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
70	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
71	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
72	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
73	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
74	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
75	Serra dos Órgãos National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
76	Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	<5%
77	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
78	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
79	Nahuel Huapi National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
80	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
81	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
82	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
83	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
84	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	<5%
85	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
86	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
87	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
88	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
89	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
90	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
91	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
92	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
93	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
94	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
95	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
96	Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park	🇯🇲 Jamaica	Insufficient data
97	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
98	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
99	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
100	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
101	Lauca National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	Insufficient data
102	Tierra del Fuego National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
103	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
104	Guadalupe Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
105	Cajas National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
106	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
107	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
108	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
109	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
110	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
111	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
112	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

← Back to Tikal National Park

Snowy Egret

About the Snowy Egret

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Little Blue Heron

Tricolored Heron

Boat-billed Heron

Bare-throated Tiger Heron

Green Heron

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Agami Heron

Great Egret

Cattle Egret

Great Blue Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

Roseate Spoonbill

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found