Quick identification
Snowy egret (Egretta thula)
A small white egret with a slender black bill, black legs and bright yellow feet. Breeding adults develop fine plumes.
Season and local range: Regular year-round wader.
Habitat and island setting
Shallow marsh, tidal pools, flats and protected bay edges.
Where to look
Bayside boardwalks and the causeway flats are easiest; scan mixed feeding groups for the small white bird with dancing yellow feet. Birds may move as tides, wind, fronts, water levels and activity at the site change.
What the bird is doing
Snowy egrets shuffle, run and stir the bottom to flush prey. Observe without cutting off the shallow-water route they are following.
Watching birds
Use binoculars or a camera zoom, stay on public paths and leave feeding, resting and nesting birds enough room to continue normal behavior. If a bird stops feeding, stands alert, calls repeatedly or moves away because of you, increase the distance. Check access information in the South Padre Island birding guide before making a special trip.