Little Egret vs Snowy Egret: What’s the Difference?

Little Egrets and Snowy Egrets are different species of the heron family. Although they both appear to be small white herons, there are subtle differences between the two birds. This post will help you to identify a little egret vs snowy egret.

Little Egret vs Snowy Egret

How are Little Egrets & Snowy Egrets Related?

Little Egrets and Snowy Egrets look very similar as they are both small white herons with long necks, and thin black bills. The table below shows how the Little Egret and Snowy Egret are related to each other.

How to Tell Little Egrets & Snowy Egrets Apart

Little Egrets and Snowy Egrets can be hard to tell apart, but they both have different coloured lores and feet. Snowy Egrets are also slightly larger than Little Egrets, with a longer wingspan.

The Colour of Their Lores

One of the easiest ways to tell a Little Egret and Snowy Egret apart is to look at the colour of their lores.

The lore is the region between the eye and bill on the side of a bird’s head. Snowy Egrets have yellow lores, whereas the lores on Little Egrets are grey (unless they are breeding, when they appear red).

The photograph below shows a Little Egret next to a Snowy Egret. You can see their lores are different colours.

The Colour of Their Feet

Both the Little Egret and Snowy Egret can have yellow coloured feet, but the feet of the Snowy Egret tend to be a brighter yellow. Little Egrets have yellow feet, but the colour is usually paler, and can be a greenish yellow.

In the photograph below you can see the Little Egret’s feet are a slightly different yellow to the feet of the Snowy Egret beneath.

Their Size

Little Egrets tend to be smaller than Snowy Egrets, but the difference is subtle so it would be difficult to tell, even if you put them side by side.

On average a Little Egret has a wingspan of 39 inches, whereas for a Snowy Egret it’s 41 inches. Little Egrets also have an average weight of 310g, whereas Snowy Egrets weigh on average 370g.

Summary of the Little Egret vs Snowy Egret

Overall, Little Egrets and Snowy Egrets both have black legs, a long neck, a slender black bill, and white plumage. They are both migratory birds found in coastal areas, or near shallow water where they feed on small fish.

The easiest way to tell them apart is by looking for the Snowy Egret’s bright yellow feet, or bright yellow lore.

The table below provides a basic summary of the differences and similarities between the two birds.

Egrets on the Wandle Trail

If you have seen a small white heron along the Wandle Trail, it is almost certainly a Little Egret rather than a Snowy Egret. Little Egrets are often spotted in Morden Hall Park, Ravensbury Park, or Watermeads Nature Reserve.

Little Egrets are commonly found in Wales and southern England, usually near the coast, or by rivers or wetlands. Snowy Egrets on the other hand are rare in the U.K., and have only ever been spotted in west and south west Scotland.

Which Other Herons and Egrets are White?

Apart from the Snowy Egret and the Little Egret, there are three other types of heron which appear almost completely white. These are the Great White Egret, the Cattle Egret, and the Pacific Reef Heron. Out of these three, the Great White Egret is the only one to be found in the UK.

Great White Egret (Ardea alba)

The Great White Egret is also know as the Great Egret, Common Egret, Large Egret, or Great White Heron. Great Egrets are large herons with white plumage. They can stand up to a metre tall.

Apart from their size, a Great Egret can easily be distinguished from other white egrets by their yellow bills, dark legs, and black feet.

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Cattle Egrets are found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. They are stocky herons with short, thick necks, a sturdy bill.

When they aren’t breeding, Cattle Egret have mainly white plumage, a yellow bill, and greyish-yellow legs.

Pacific Reef Heron (Egretta sacra)

Pacific Reef Herons are found throughout southern Asia and Oceania. They are also known as Eastern Reef Herons or Eastern Reef Egrets. They appear in two colours, either pure white or slate grey.

The white Pacific Reef Herons can be difficult to tell apart from Little Egrets, as they both have white plumage, dark grey bills, and yellowish feet.

Video Showing a Little Egret vs a Snowy Egret

This Post was About the Difference Between Little Egrets vs Snowy Egrets

Thank you for reading my article about little egrets vs snowy egrets. If you have spotted a little egret down near the river Wandle, and would like to contribute a photograph to this article, please get in touch by email.