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The Western Cattle-Egret is a gregarious, white, upland ardeid (Ardeidae), easily recognized by its foraging association with grazing animals and its exaggerated, head-pumping strut. It differs from the Eastern Cattle-Egret (Ardea coromanda) in having less buff-orange breeding plumage in the head and neck regions.
Small, compact white heron with relatively short yellow bill. More frequently seen in dry habitats than other egrets. In breeding season, look for pale salmon color on head and breast and brighter bill. Leg color varies from reddish or yellow during the breeding season to black during the nonbreeding season. Juveniles have dark bill. Always note relatively short, thick neck and short legs compared with other egrets. Often gathers in flocks, frequently following cattle or tractors in fields.
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The Western Cattle-Egret is a gregarious, white, upland heron ( Ardeidae ), easily recognized by its foraging association with grazing animals and its exaggerated head-waving. It is distinguished from the Eastern Cattle-Egret (Ardea coromanda) due to having less buffy-orange breeding plumage on the head and neck regions. Its preference for grasslands, lawns, pastures, and grazing animals is quite distinct from that of other herons and egrets, which usually feed in or beside water and not in close association with livestock. In Britain and Europe, it is also known as the buffalo heron, referring to the color of its breeding plumes; but in many languages, it is simply called the cow crane, cow heron, or cowbird, or named after the wild grazing animal with which it is usually associated, e.g., elephant bird, rhinoceros egret, or hippopotamus egret.
The Western Cattle-Egret's Arabic name, Abu Qerdan, means "father of ticks" and refers to the abundance of ticks on Egyptian herons. Other names that include the word "tick," such as "tickbird," refer to the mistaken belief that they pick attached ticks off grazing animals; instead, most of their prey are insects disturbed by grazing animals. Derivation of the scientific name:Bubulcus(the previous genus) from Latin "belonging to cattle" andibisfrom the Greek in reference to its slightly curved beak like that of the ibis.
