Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) Pictures and Detail


Cattle Egret on the Top of Tree


Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) Pictures and Detail- 


Most people must have observed Cattle egret birds riding the back of a buffalo or some other animal. Cattle Egret birds are native to Asia, Africa, and Europe. We can see these birds, in a wide geographical area other than their native lands because of their rapid growth. Cattle Egret presents an example of a wider natural expansion ever reached by any bird.

Beautiful, Cattle Egret
Beautiful Cattle Egret

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Cattle Egret prefers to move along with grazing animals like buffalo because their activities and movements help cattle egret to catch their preys which are mostly insects. There are studies showing that Cattle Egret birds are more successful in catching prey when they are moving along with grazing animals as compared to catching prey alone


Cattle Egret, Wings Open,
Cattle Egret with wings open

[Update- 06/09/2016 -  Cattle Egrets are common birds if move out of cities. It is common to find them in the fields, near water bodies, or around grazing cattle. Below, You can see the close-up of the face of a cattle egret whom I meet a few days back and got better pics of Cattle egret.]

Face, Close Up, Cattle Egret,
Face Close up Cattle Egret

I have been watching these birds since my childhood and I was always thinking that why these birds ride on the back of an animal. Today, I know the answer that these birds are opportunistic and they look for easy solutions to catch the insects. We can also see group cattle egret birds moving behind a tractor plowing the field to catch insects.

Cattle Egret, Plowing,
Cattle Egret birds following the Tractor

Cattle Egrets are members of the heron family Ardeidae. These birds are white in color; however, they can show red flush on legs and bill during the breeding season. Some populations of Cattle Egret are migratory while others are not.


Group of Cattle Egret Birds
Group of Cattle Egret Birds 

We can commonly found these birds in the grasslands, wetlands, rice fields, farms, etc. It is much easier to find these birds and we just need to look at farms, grasslands, or wetlands. These birds are commonly found in groups; though, we can find some of them catching prey alone. 



Cattle Egret,
Cattle Egret

These birds don't fear humans much and they may come very close. In the wet field, we can see cattle egrets waiting for the insects coming out of the fields when water enters the holes in the fields. These birds have got this name because of their special relational with grazing animals. Cattle Egret eats are ticks and flies causing trouble to cattle, thus making a mutually beneficial relationship for both.

Cattle Egret
Cattle EGRET 
The positioning of eyes in the Cattle Egret helps to get a binocular view and some studies suggest that their eyes are capable of nocturnal activities. These bird nests in colonies which are commonly around the water bodies like wetlands.

Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret

[Update - 06/09/2016 - Sometimes, it looks spectacular to watch Cattle Egret in the wet or green fields. Cattle egrets are common friends of farmers and it is common to find them in fields and sometimes, we can find hundreds of them in a single field. You can also enjoy these beautiful views by moving out with your camera.]

Cattle Egret in Wet field

The breeding season of Cattle Egret is from April to October, depending on their geographical location. A new male is chosen for every breeding season.
Cattle Egret in a Wet Field
Cattle Egret in a Wet Field 
Close up, Cattle Egret,
Close up Cattle Egret

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