Bird of the Week: Snowy egret

(Photo: MichaelWarren.com)

The elegant breeding plumes of snowy egrets were at one time worth more per ounce than gold. In the late 19th and early 20th century, they were in great demand as decorations for women’s hats. Hunters in Florida and elsewhere decimated their populations until the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 banned the trade. This snowy egret was photographed at the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park. (Photo: MichaelWarren.com)