Western Cattle Egret, Bubuleus ibis
Western Cattle Egret, Bubuleus ibis. Photographs taken in Oahu, Hawaii, March 2019. Photographs and identification courtesy of Julie McGhee, Riverside, California.
Western Cattle Egret, Bubuleus ibis. Photograph taken within the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach, Florida, January 2023. Photograph and identification courtesy of Faith Hubsch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Western Cattle Egret, Bubuleus ibis. Photograph taken in the coastal area of Yavaros, Sonora, January 2018. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.
Background and Identification
The Western Cattle Egret, Bubuleus ibis, is a member of the Ardeidae Family of Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns. This species is a small, stocky, white heron with a relatively short, thick neck. Ornithologists in 2023 decided to split the Cattle Egret species into the Western Cattle Egret and Eastern Cattle Egret. The eastern subspecies is migratory and inhabits Asia, Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. The Western subspecies, the focus of this write-up, is widely distributed across North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. The split between Eastern and Western Cattle Egrets is largely based on the genetic divergence that has occurred through centuries of inhabiting widely separated geographical regions. The debate on whether these populations should be considered subspecies or full species is ongoing. Some taxonomists argue for recognizing the Eastern Cattle Egret as a separate species based on genetic, morphological, and vocal differences. However, the consensus is not universal, and many ornithologists still treat them as subspecies rather than distinct species. In this write-up, they will be referred to as separate subspecies. In Mexico, the Western Cattle Egret is known as Garcilla Bueyera Occidental.
The Western Cattle Egret is mid-sized in stature, with an average total length of 46-56 cm and an average body mass of 270-512 g. Sexes are very similar in appearance, called sexual monomorphism. Females sometimes have shorter breeding plumes, but this difference is not usually noted in field research. Unlike many other herons, it has a distinctive yellow bill and yellow or orange legs, and during the breeding season, it develops orange-buff plumes on its crown, chest, and back. These egrets are often seen in the company of grazing cattle, hence their name. Nonbreeding individuals have white plumage, except for a very short pink-cinnamon crest and dark green legs (appear black from a distance). Juveniles have entirely white plumage except for a small light buff-brown area on their crown, and black legs.
Habitat and Geographical Range
Western Cattle Egrets are highly adaptable birds found in a wide range of habitats, including coastal barriers, marshes, dredge-material islands, lakes, swamps, riparian and upland woodlands, and groves. Due to their wide variety of habitats, their diets are extremely varied and based on availability in these geographical areas.
Both subspecies of Cattle Egrets are migratory in some parts of their range, moving to warmer areas during the winter months. North American populations of Western Cattle Egrets often migrate to southwestern parts of the states, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Populations in countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua are usually sedentary. In Mexico, they are winter visitors and are found throughout the country at elevations below 4,080 m (13,400 feet) in regions excluding Baja California and Baja California Sur. In South America, Western Cattle Egrets are common and widely distributed in Colombia and Venezuela down to Argentina and Chile.
Common Misidentifications
Cattle Egrets can be mistaken for juvenile individuals of the Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea, and Snowy Egrets, Egretta thula. However, their stockier build, shorter neck, and the yellow coloration of their bill and legs help distinguish them. Additionally, Cattle Egrets have orange-buff plumes during the breeding season a unique characteristic that sets them apart from other species.
Conservation Status
From a conservation perspective, the Cattle Egret is categorized by the IUCN as Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. This species has been highly successful in adapting to human-altered landscapes, particularly agricultural areas where it can find abundant food sources.