Cattle Egret

Bubulcus ibisOrder: CICONIIFORMES Family: Bitterns, Herons and Egrets (Ardeidae)

Codes: Common Name: CAEG Scientific Name: BUBIBI ITIS Taxonomic No.: 174803

Breeding Location:

Grassland with scattered trees, Marshes, freshwater, Swamps

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

North American population increasing

Egg Color:

Pale blue or light blue green

Number of Eggs:

1 - 9

Incubation Days:

21 - 26

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Sticks and reeds.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Cattle Egret: Medium-sized, stocky egret with white body and pale orange-brown patches on head, neck and back. Eyes, bill and legs are orange. Sexes are similar. Winter adult and juvenile are white and with dull yellow-orange eyes, bill, and legs.

Range and Habitat

Cattle Egret: Breeds throughout much of the U.S.; less dependent on aquatic habitats than other egrets, preferring grassy fields.

Breeding and Nesting

Cattle Egret: One to nine pale blue or blue green eggs are laid in a nest made of sticks and vegetation; nests in colonies and sometimes reuses an old nest; often steals materials from neighbors. Eggs are incubated for approximately 24 days by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Cattle Egret: Eats mostly grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, flies, frogs, and moths. Commonly associates with livestock or large wild game, feeding on insects disturbed by grazing; also follows tractors in fields. Forages in small groups or singly, walking in a steady strut, darting forward and stabbing quickly with bill to catch prey.

Vocalization

Cattle Egret: Generally silent but emits a simple, husky, quiet "rick-rack" on breeding grounds.

Similar Species

Cattle Egret: Great Egret and white phase Great Blue Heron are much larger. Snowy Egret and immature Little Blue Heron have dark or bi-colored bills.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret: Medium, stocky egret with white body and pale orange-brown patches on head, neck and back. Eyes, bill and legs are orange. This is the only white egret with both a yellow bill and yellow legs. Feeds primarily on insects disturbed by livestock. Direct flight on quick steady wing beats.

● Song: "rick-rack"

● Foraging & Feeding: Cattle Egret: Eats mostly grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, flies, frogs, and moths. Commonly associates with livestock or large wild game, feeding on insects disturbed by grazing; also follows tractors in fields. Forages in small groups or singly, walking in a steady strut, darting forward and stabbing quickly with bill to catch prey.

● Breeding & nesting: Cattle Egret: One to nine pale blue or blue green eggs are laid in a nest made of sticks and vegetation; nests in colonies and sometimes reuses an old nest; often steals materials from neighbors. Eggs are incubated for approximately 24 days by both parents.

● Similar species: Cattle Egret: Great Egret and white phase Great Blue Heron are much larger. Snowy Egret and immature Little Blue Heron have dark or bi-colored bills.

Flight Pattern

Direct flight with rapid wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Cattle Egret: Breeds throughout much of the U.S.; less dependent on aquatic habitats than other egrets, preferring grassy fields.

^BreedingMonogamous, Colonial

^PopulationNorth American population increasing

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight11.9 Ounces

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Cattle Egret

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Vocalization

Similar Species

Cattle Egret

Flight Pattern