Worn to Death
Bird of the Day Series, Social Media Content
Today, we’d be horrified to see a woman wearing feathers (and 'faux' feathers, like faux fur, are often not faux at all). But in the latter half of the 18th century, Snowy Egret feathers were a major status symbol. Ladies wanted them in their hats, their hair, around their necks, on their dresses—some people used them to adorn dinner tables. This was especially true in the USA, where an ounce of feathers could fetch the modern equivalent of $2000.
Snowy Egrets, aka Great Egrets, hunt by standing in shallow water (they’re actually Herons), although they sometimes run through the water, chasing their prey. Their nests are low, crowded and conspicuous. Easy pickings. But every ounce of breeding plumes represented six dead adults, and each slain pair left behind three to five starving nestlings. Millions of birds died; by 1900, the species survived only in the deep Everglades and other remote wetlands.
Finally, a group of people formed the Audubon Society (which is how the Egret came to be symbol of the National Audubon Society), and lobbied for protection. By 1918, the US had followed the lead of Canada, Britain and the European countries and outlawed the trade. Now the birds are common, pretty much everywhere. You’ll find them on mudflats, beaches, and wetlands, wet agricultural fields and along the edges of rivers and lakes. Both parents incubate their eggs and both care for their young. Interestingly, when one takes over for the other, he or she presents a stick, as if passing a baton.
People love to watch these elegant birds. Adults have black legs and bright yellow feet. In breeding season, they develop neon green patches, and grow plumes from their backs. They’re 40” long with 57” wingspans and fly at 25 mph, with 2 wing-beats per second. They’re not friendly, to us or each other—siblings commonly kill each other. But we want to leave them alone because, once they’ve arrived at a breeding ground, other species figure it’s safe and nest there as well. That preserves species and wetlands and ultimately helps to make all of us healthier.