Photo by Craig O'Neal
The Cattle Egret is a very common species of the heron family found in our area.
This little egret gets its name from the close association it has with larger animals such as cows and is found often feeding along side them.The cattle egret eats mostly bugs and insects off the ground which make the feeding habits distinctly different from the rest of the heron family who prefer fish, frogs, and other crustaceans found near water sources. This is a major reason that these birds are found with other larger animals that kick up bugs while grazing in grasslands.
A common site is to see these birds riding the backs of cattle. While they seem to be hitching a free ride, they’re actually eating ticks and other parasites from that animal.
This little guy was quite the comical bird, screaming while I was trying to photograph his colorful breading face.
