Cattle Egret
Fast Facts
What do they look like?
Cattle egrets are white heron-like birds, 18–22 inches long with a 32-38 inch wingspan.
They have a thick neck and long sharp bill, which is black in juveniles and yellow in
adults. In flight and at rest, they curve their neck into an S-shape. In breeding
season, both males and females grow orange breeding plumage. Breeding plumage
is longer and darker in males.
How do they behave?
Common Name: Cattle Egret
Scientific Name: Bubulcus ibis
Family: Ardeidae
Order: Pelecaniformes
Class: Aves
Range: Worldwide
Unlike other egret species, cattle egrets do not exclusively inhabit wetlands. They are
typically found living anywhere their commensal hosts live. A commensal relationship
is one in which one of the animals benefits while the other is not affected. The cattle
egret lives alongside large grazing herbivores such as cattle, zebra, water buffalo,
bison, and others. In mixed species herds, the egrets prefer to follow the slower
moving hosts, allowing them to keep up with the herd on foot while foraging. Some
cattle egrets are migratory, especially those in cooler climates, or those following
migratory herds such as wildebeest. Cattle egrets have followed the spread of
farmed livestock throughout the world, as farmers introduced large herbivores to
areas which previously lacked a host for these birds.
What’s on the menu?
Cattle egrets eat mostly insects, including flies and ticks picked directly from the skin
of the cattle they live with. They also feed on the small creatures that are disrupted
by the movement of the large herbivores, thus easier for the egret to catch. They also
eat small vertebrates, worms, and eggs. At the Zoo, they eat mice, specialized bird
food, and insects.
How are they born?
Cattle egrets nest in colonies, where the males perform elaborate courtship rituals,
including picking up and shaking twigs. Pairs build a nest together, often stealing
twigs from neighbors. The female lays 3-4 eggs, which both parents incubate for
around 25 days. The chicks fledge at one month of age.
What should you know about them?
Habitat: Wetlands, grasslands
Lifespan: Unknown in the wild;
up to 20 years in captivity
Conservation Status: Stable
Some cattle egrets have turned to a different commensal host – airplanes! The
grassy margins of runways provide a sheltered habitat, and the take-off and landing
of planes disturbs the small prey in a similar way to cattle. Some airports actively
discourage these egret colonies, as they may endanger smaller airplanes in a collision.
What can you do to help?
Cattle egrets are so widespread and successful that they are classified as a species of
Least Concern by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Human
development worldwide has had a positive effect overall for this species, but has also
increased the likelihood of negative human interaction, such as being struck by
vehicles.