Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) portrait, in breeding plumage, Dayet Aoua, Morocco

Cosmopolitan species, found on every continent except Antarctica. These herons have a unique foraging behaviour, often following large mammals like cattle to feed on insects and other invertebrates disturbed by the animals. Their diet includes crickets, grasshoppers, ticks, frogs and small vertebrates.

Cattle egrets nest in colonies, typically near bodies of water, and often alongside other wading birds. They build their nests—a platform of sticks—in trees or shrubs.

Cattle egrets first arrived in Britain in 2008, breeding successfully that year. After a brief retreat due to harsh winters, they have returned and are now breeding in large numbers. This expansion is largely attributed to rising average temperatures, allowing these typically tropical birds to thrive further north.

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Kuhreiher

 

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