Wild Florida Photo - Bubulcus ibis

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Bubulcus ibis

CATTLE EGRET

Florida native

 

Native to Africa , Asia and Spain, cattle egrets are now found throughout the United States and much of South America.
They are the most terrestrial member of the heron family, usually seen following behind large animals such as cattle or horses and farm equipment to catch the insects that are disturbed. Cattle egrets are even attracted to large fires to catch insects fleeing the flames.
A medium sized white heron 50 cm long (20 in.) with a wingspan of nearly a meter (36 in.). Cattle egrets have short dark legs that become reddish in breeding plumage, along with pale orange patches on the back, head crest and breast. Juvenile bills are dark, adults are yellow, then more orange during breeding.

 
Bubulcus ibis is a member of the Ardeidae - Herons & Bitterns family.
 

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America

  David Allen Sibley
 The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America is an indispensable resource for all birders seeking an authoritative and portable guide to the birds of the East.

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For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds page for this species

Date record last modified:
Jul 08, 2012