Snowed in—with egrets

While we cannot guarantee a snowy winter at Johnson Space Center, we can guarantee snowy egrets on JSC’s grounds. The white feathers and bright yellow feet of this resident wading bird species can be regularly seen on the waterways and prairies across the site. However, there was once a time when the very existence of this bird was threatened. At the beginning of the 20^th century, the fashion industry’s demand for egret feathers—including those of the snowy egrets—were driving this and other egret species toward extinction. Plume hunters killed thousands of birds to harvest their feathers to adorn the fashionable hats of the wealthy. Efforts to stop the harvest of feathers for fashion resulted in the deaths of some of America’s first game wardens, as well as the formation of the Audubon Society, which is now one of the largest conservation organization in the United States. The Lacey Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act and many state laws now protect these birds from harvest. Under protection, these birds are once again common across the Texas coast.   

The Christmas Bird Count is the nation’s longest-running citizen science bird project, and JSC is one of the continuously visited locations. Learn about events in January and promoting sustainability at JSC.

A snowy egret in its natural habitat at JSC. Image Credit: NASA/Lauren Harnett

Stacy Shutts

NASA Johnson Space Center