Fun Facts!

The cattle egret has a long neck, but it tucks it in when it flies.

Egrets come from long distances to catch insects trying to escape a major fire.

Male and female egrets share the workload when building the nest - the male gathers sticks and grasses and the female assembles the nest.

Cattle Egret

Bubulcus ibis

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Much smaller than its cousins, the great white heron and the snowy egret, the cattle egret is generally 14-17 inches long and weighs 9.5-18 ounces. This bird has a thick orange bill and dark orange legs. The male’s white plumage can turn to orange-buff plumes on the back, breast and crown during certain times of the year.

HABITAT

Found in South America in the late 19th century, the cattle egret migrated northward to where it is now found in all the continental United States. It’s a dry land bird, but it also can be found around shallow water of lakes or rivers where there is food.

DIET IN THE WILD

Cattle egrets feed on a wide range of prey, primarily insects, especially grasshoppers, crickets, flies, and moths, as well as spiders, frogs, and earthworms. They stay close to cattle because of the flies and bugs attracted to herds of cattle.

BEHAVIOR

These are “community” birds that live in a large group. Sometimes they are seen riding on the rump of a steer! Groups of cattle egrets establish their ‘territories’ and when a female is attracted to a male she will land on the male’s back.

STATUS IN THE WILD/CONSERVATION EFFORTS

The cattle egret's numbers are thriving in the wild - no conservation efforts are underway. In fact, over the last 50 years, they are the largest-growing egret species in the country. It is estimated that there are 3.8–6.7 million individual cattle egrets across the world. In Brazil, the Aplomado falcon is a predator. Crows have also been known to attack cattle egrets.

LIFE SPAN

Cattle egrets typically live 6-8 years in the wild; some specimens have lived for as much as 20 years.