Cattle Egret

The Cattle Egret, Ardea ibis, is a bird with an interesting background. It is found (at this time of year around West Gippsland) in conjunction with flocks of domestic cattle where it feeds on small invertebrates, worms, frogs and lizards stirred up by the feet of the moving cattle. It is also not unusual to see the bird on the backs of cattle taking ticks and flies from the hide.

Cattle Egrets are gregarious, often seen in very large flocks. They are also considered to be strong, long-distance fliers.

The origin of the species is probably northern Africa, Spain and southern Asia. They perhaps visited northern Australia for many years but didn’t establish in this country until the arrival of white settlers and their cattle herds.

Cattle Egrets are not native to Victoria. They first appeared in 1949 near Lake Colac.

They are regular visitors to Gippsland in winter, which is intriguing. They breed in northern NSW, NT and south-eastern Qld, so just why they migrate south in winter to colder and presumably less fertile foraging grounds, seems inexplicable. Their populations are on the increase whereas other egret species are considered to be in decline.

Adult breeding birds gain an orange-buff plumage to the head and neck giving the bird a strikingly beautiful appearance.