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closeIUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 17,800,000 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 17,800,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | Increasing | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 6.8 | - | - | - |
| Trend justification: The overall population trend is increasing, although some populations may be stable and others have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006). This species has undergone a large and statistically significant increase over the last 40 years in North America (541% increase over 40 years, equating to a 59.1% increase per decade; data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007) Note, however, that these surveys cover less than 50% of the species's range in North America. | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | Vagrant | No | |||
| Anguilla (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Native | No | |||
| Argentina | Native | No | |||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Bahamas | Native | No | |||
| Barbados | Native | No | |||
| Belize | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bermuda (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bolivia | Native | No | |||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Brazil | Native | No | |||
| Canada | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Chile | Native | No | |||
| Colombia | Native | No | |||
| Costa Rica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cuba | Native | No | |||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Dominica | Native | No | |||
| Dominican Republic | Native | No | |||
| Ecuador | Native | No | |||
| El Salvador | Native | No | |||
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | Vagrant | No | |||
| French Guiana | Native | No | |||
| Grenada | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Guatemala | Native | No | |||
| Guyana | Native | No | |||
| Haiti | Native | No | |||
| Honduras | Native | No | |||
| Iceland | Vagrant | No | |||
| Jamaica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Martinique (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mexico | Native | No | |||
| Montserrat (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Nicaragua | Native | No | |||
| Panama | Native | No | |||
| Paraguay | Native | No | |||
| Peru | Native | No | |||
| Portugal | Vagrant | No | |||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Vagrant | No | |||
| South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands | Vagrant | No | |||
| St Helena (to UK) | Vagrant | No | |||
| St Kitts and Nevis | Native | No | |||
| St Lucia | Native | No | |||
| St Martin (to France) | Native | No | |||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Native | No | |||
| Suriname | Native | No | |||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Native | No | |||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| United Kingdom | Vagrant | No | |||
| Uruguay | Native | No | Yes | ||
| USA | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Venezuela | Native | No | |||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Reserva de Uso Múltiple Bañados del Río Dulce y Laguna Mar Chiquita |  |
| Guyana | Shell Beach | |
| Nicaragua | Juan Venado Island | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Caroni Swamp | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | major | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 4000 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Wearing apparel, accessories | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Historical |
| Wearing apparel, accessories | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Historical |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Egretta thula. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Ardeidae (Herons and egrets) |
| Species name author | (Molina, 1782) |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Increasing |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 17,800,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
| - Summary information on this species | |
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