Snowy Egret

Snowy Egret taking off. This morning at the LGVSD Ponds.

 

This beautiful bird species had a very close brush with extermination early in the 20th century. Beginning in the late 19th century, the plumes were in great demand by makers of women's hats. Thousands of egrets were shot, usually in the nesting colony, and stripped of their delicate feathers with the bodies discarded where they fell. Because the birds were slaughtered during the breeding season, the impact was exaggerated, resulting in the loss of breeding adults and the dependent young that died from starvation.

Intensive educational efforts by a man by the name of Pearson and the National Association of Audubon Societies brought the devastation to the attention of the American public.

An enlightened public and aggressive protection of the breeding colonies that remained allowed the snowy egret to rebound throughout its range following the feather trade.

Yes, I copied the above in part from the web!