Cattle Egret - Photos by Bruce Dayton - Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

ORDER: Ciconiiformes
FAMILY: Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, Bitterns - 12 Species)
SPECIES: Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Cattle Egret
The Cattle Egret originated in the old world, reached North America in the nineteenth century.
SIZE	Medium-sized (18-22”) heron with a short thick neck.
DESCRIPTION	The basic plumage of the adult of both sexes is pure white, It has a short thick yellow bill, and short dark yellow legs. During the breeding season, the plumage of adult cattle egrets turns a buff color and their bills, eyes, and legs turn a dark shade of red. Sexes are similar in appearance.
NESTING	Clutch size ranges from 3-6 eggs, which are incubated in 22 to 26 days. They nest in colonies, often, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs.
RANGE	In the United States, the year-round range of the Cattle Egret is mostly limited to the extreme south, but during the breeding season this species can be found almost anywhere in the lower 48 states. It is also found in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa.
HABITAT	They habitat open fields and pastures, lawns, roadsides, orchards. freshwater marshes and saltwater marshes.
DIET	They can be found feeding on the insects (grasshoppers, flies, and crickets) disturbed by grazing animals and farm machinery as it harvests crops. They will also ride on the backs of large ruminants. In the marsh areas, they will eat frogs, snakes and insects.

INTERESTING FACTS

Shorebirds

Another term for wader. Shorebirds include avocets, oystercatchers, phalaropes, plovers, sandpipers, snipes, stilts and turnstones. These groups form the 49 species of shorebirds that are common in North America. They generally have small bodies, long, thin legs and no webbing on their feet. Shorebirds use a variety of predominantly wetland habitats both on the coast and in interior regions. One of the interesting facts about shorebirds is their amazing variety of bill shapes and sizes which allow them to forage for food on dry soil or in shallow water.

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The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit.




Cattle Egret

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge Seneca County, New York


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American Crossbill Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes