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The cattle egret ( Bubulcus) is a cosmopolitan genus of heron ( family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. According to the IOC bird list, it contains two species, the western cattle egret and the eastern cattle egret, although some authorities regard them as a single species.
Learn about Western/Eastern Cattle Egret: explore photos, sounds, and observations collected by birders around the world.
The Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron named for its association with cattle. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western cattle egret and the Eastern cattle egret.
The short, thick-necked Western Cattle Egret spends most of its time in fields rather than streams. It forages at the feet of grazing cattle, head bobbing with each step, or rides on their backs to pick at ticks. This stocky white heron has yellow plumes on its head and neck during breeding season.
The short, thick-necked Western Cattle Egret spends most of its time in fields rather than streams. It forages at the feet of grazing cattle, head bobbing with each step, or rides on their backs to pick at ticks. This stocky white heron has yellow plumes on its head and neck during breeding season.
Cattle Egret. Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus, 1758) EC CATEG 1110. Family: Pelecaniformes > Ardeidae. This small white member of the heron family is a recent colonist which, as the name suggests, often associates with livestock.
A relatively small snowy-white egret, the Cattle Egret is distinguished during breeding season by its orange crown, neck and breast, with similarly tinted long loose neck plumes. The long sharp, slightly down-curved bill is yellow to pinkish yellow, but becomes bright red during breeding season.
At a Glance. The remarkable range expansion of the Cattle Egret represents one of the great avian success stories. Unknown in North America prior to 1952, it is now abundant over much of the continent. It spread from Africa to northeastern South America in the 1870s and 1880s; more recently it has colonized Australasian region.
Cattle egrets are only slightly smaller than a little egret, but with a shorter neck, shorter legs and much more compact body giving them a stockier impression. They also have a shorter, stubbier bill, which is dark in juveniles but quickly turns yellow.
The Cattle Egret is a short-legged white egret, with a relatively short yellow bill, usually seen feeding in flocks in grasslands and pastures following cattle or perched in a haunched posture. Adult: The Cattle Egret is a basically white bird. The bill, lores, and irises are yellow.
