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Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
1875 Noble Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06610
Main Number: (203) 394-6565 | |
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Cattle egret
Bubulcus ibis
This bird follows livestock and other large grazers because it eats the insects that get disturbed as the large grazers move through open habitats. Cattle egrets really like the grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, and flies that the grazers stir up.
At Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, we have cattle egrets in the Alligator Alley wetlands.
Description:
A small, short, thick-pointed billed, white plumage bird. They are 17 to 21 inches long with a 37-inch wingspan, and they can weigh up to 1 pound. They have pale yellow or orange legs with a yellow bill. The immature cattle egret has black legs and bills. They tuck their necks in close to the body during flight and rest, and only rarely stretch their neck out. Both males and females look similar. During the breeding season they will get a brownish crown, chest and back with red eyes, bills and legs. Because of this appearance they are sometimes called the Buffed Backed Heron, but cattle egret is the more common name.
Habitat:
They are the most terrestrial species of heron. They live in pastures and other open habitats, usually near large grazers. They can also be found in wetlands as well as urban areas.
Range:
In North America they can be found from California to Maine and the Great Lakes to the Gulf coast. They are also found in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. They originated from Africa and southern Spain. Cattle egrets came to the Americas about 100 years ago.
Diet:
They eat mostly insects as well as some frogs and toads. They rarely eat fish, as other herons species do.
Lifespan:
Unknown in the wild, but in captivity more then 10 years and up to 22.
Family Life:
They are seasonally monogamous and nest in colonies with other species of birds besides cattle egrets. Both parents incubate and care for the 3-5 eggs. The eggs start out a light sky blue color but get lighter as they get older. The chicks hatch 3-4 weeks after the eggs are laid, and the young fledge about 1 month from when they hatch. Cattle egrets are a very social bird.
Status:
Cattle egrets are very common, and they are expanding their ranges. They now outnumber the combined population of all egrets and herons in North America.
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