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Metadata
Title: Cattle Egret
Alternative Title: Bubulcus ibis
Creator: Karney, Lee
Source: WO-Lee Karney-3306
Publisher: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Contributor: DIVISION OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Language: EN - ENGLISH
Rights: (public domain)
Audience: (general)
Subject: Karney, Bird, birds, Heron

Description
Table Of Contents: Small, stocky white heron with large, rounded head, Breeding adult is adorned by orange-buffed plumes on crown, back and foreneck. Often seen among livestock in pastures and fields, feeding on insects stirred up by hooves or tractors; also picks insects off animals' backs. In flight resembles Snowy Egret but is smaller.

Date
Available: April 05 2004
Issued: March 26 2004
Modified: April 08 2004


Comments
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The cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron from the family Ardeidae discovered within the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. It is a white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. According to the IOC bird list, it contains two species, the western cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) and the eastern cattle egret (Bubulcus coromandus), although some authorities regard them as a single species. 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. The cattle egret is a short, stocky egret, which is very similar to the Little Egret, but is distinguished by its short yellow bill and yellowish legs. It is almost always found with grazing cattle, not necessarily near water.
Order: Pelecaniformes > Family: Ardeidae > Genus: Bubulcus > Species: Bubulcus ibis