The cattle egrets (formerly genus Bubulcus) are a cosmopolitan clade of herons (family Ardeidae) in the genus Ardea found in the tropics, subtropics, warm temperate, and increasingly in cooler temperate zones. As currently treated, the clade contains two species, the western cattle egret and the eastern cattle egret, although some authorities (particularly in the past) regarded them as a single species. Despite the similarities in plumage to the egrets of the genus Egretta, they have recently been found to be genetically embedded within the genus Ardea, and are now included there. Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa, and southernmost Europe, the two species have undergone rapid expansion in their distribution and have successfully colonised much of the rest of the world in the last century. They are white birds adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. They nest in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds. The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs. Cattle egrets exploit drier and open habitats more than other heron species. Their feeding habitats include seasonally inundated grasslands, pastures, farmlands, wetlands, and rice paddies. They often accompany cattle or other large mammals, catching insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. Some populations are migratory and others show postbreeding dispersal. Adult cattle egrets have few predators, but birds or mammals may raid their nests, and chicks may be lost to starvation, calcium deficiency, or disturbance from other large birds. Cattle egrets maintain a special relationship with cattle, which extends to other large grazing mammals; increased human livestock farming is believed to be a major cause of their suddenly expanded range. Cattle egrets remove ticks and flies from cattle and consume them. This benefits both organisms, but it has been implicated in the spread of tick-borne animal diseases.
Slightly smaller but much rarer than the Little Egret, Cattle Egret numbers in the UK are rising. They often spend time close to livestock like sheep and cows and grab the insects and worms their hooves disturb. Cattle Egrets have yellow or greyish legs and a yellow beak, compared to the black legs (with yellow feet) and black beak of the Little Egret. The stout white Cattle Egret is most often seen in fields rather than shallow water with other herons and egrets. It prefers to follow grazing cattle (hence the name) as well as tractors and mowers, snatching up small lizards and insects that scatter after the disturbance. The Cattle Egret is not native to the Americas; however, it has spread rapidly since it first arrived to northeastern South America from Africa in 1877. It is not known whether their arrival was human-assisted or if they made it on their own steam, but since then they have spread rapidly across the western hemisphere. They were first observed in the U.S. in 1941, with the first nests observed in 1953. They are currently common throughout the southern U.S. in summer but have been observed throughout North America, even as far north as Alaska. Cattle Egrets are also established year round residents throughout much of Central and South America. These small egrets (18-22 in length) can be distinguished from the slightly larger Snowy Egrets by their short thick yellowish-orange bill, and dark brown legs and feet. They also tend to appear stockier and have a more rapid wing beat when in the air. During breeding, the bill and legs turn a bright reddish orange, and they develop pale orange patches on the back and chest as well as a mohawk of pale orange on their heads. Their diet includes mainly small arthropods and lizards stirred up by disturbances, and they have even been observed flying toward smoke to take advantage of insects fleeing the fire. You can often see Cattle Egrets foraging in newly mowed suburban lawns as well as agricultural fields through Southeast Texas in the summer. Next time you spot this bird take a moment to watch them chase and capture all sort of insects, including dragonflies and grasshoppers!
