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The article reports that naturalists, park rangers, and birders were taken by surprise in 2004 when 50 breeding pairs of Snowy Egrets settled into a palm tree grove at the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve, located on the shores of San Francisco Bay about 30 miles south of San Francisco, California. About the same number were seen in 2005. Snowy Egrets were nearly hunted to extinction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries but are common along the Pacific, Gulf and Atlantic coasts and in inland marshes.

The article discusses that comparison shows there really is no such thing as an unmistakable bird. English names for birds are often imprecise. Consider the terms heron and egret. We use them as if they mean something different, but the difference between herons and egrets is arbitrary. For example, Little Blue Heron and Snowy Egret are members of the same genus: Egretta. Apparently close relatives, they can be surprisingly hard to tell apart.

Presents information on night-herons. Description of an adult night-heron; Features of juvenile and young night-herons; Identification tips; Various types of night-herons.

The article describes a photograph of a Snowy Egret in Florida taken by Arthur Morris.