 Photo Copyright ©2005 The Assateague Naturalist |
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) Length: about 17". Photographed on May 27, 2005, along the refuge's Wildlife Loop (map) at Snow Goose Pool. Uncommon in spring and summer, but common in the fall, the cattle egret feeds mostly on insects. Originally from Africa, these egrets flew across the ocean and settled in South America in the late 19th century, then spread up to Florida in the mid-twentieth century. Their name comes from their practice of following horses or cattle to catch insects stirred up as these animals move about.
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