Cattle Egrets
The Cattle Egret is a stocky white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. The easiest way to separate them from Little Egrets is by their short, yellow rather than long, black bills but Cattle Egrets are also smaller, stockier and more squat in shape with shorter, thicker necks and less elegant heads.
The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion in its distribution and successfully colonised much of the rest of the world.
Cattle Egrets breed and roost in trees usually close to fresh water and feed in shallow wetlands, especially rice-paddies, but also dry grasslands. They can often be seen feeding around cattle waiting to pick off disturbed insects, including riding on the backs of animals.
Cattle Egrets are visiting the UK in increasing numbers and are most likely to be seen in the south of England and Wales. In winter 2007/08, a large influx of Cattle Egrets occurred in the UK, with the largest numbers in south-west England although birds did get as far north as Scotland. This influx led to the first ever pair breeding successfully in Somerset.
Date: 10th November 2009
Location: Delta de l’Ebre, Catalunya, Spain
The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion in its distribution and successfully colonised much of the rest of the world.
Cattle Egrets breed and roost in trees usually close to fresh water and feed in shallow wetlands, especially rice-paddies, but also dry grasslands. They can often be seen feeding around cattle waiting to pick off disturbed insects, including riding on the backs of animals.
Cattle Egrets are visiting the UK in increasing numbers and are most likely to be seen in the south of England and Wales. In winter 2007/08, a large influx of Cattle Egrets occurred in the UK, with the largest numbers in south-west England although birds did get as far north as Scotland. This influx led to the first ever pair breeding successfully in Somerset.
Date: 10th November 2009
Location: Delta de l’Ebre, Catalunya, Spain
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Also in: Catalunya
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