The cattle egret was originally found in southern Spain and Portugal and tropical and sub-tropical Africa and Asia. However, it has undergone an amazing expansion and can be found in most of South America, Central America, Mexico and the U.S., as well as small parts of Canada, most of sub-Saharan Africa and the Nile River valley and part of Australia.
They live in drier habitats than most other heron species and often accompany cattle and other large mammals, eating insects disturbed by them. They remove ticks and flies from the large mammals and eat them, benefitting both species.
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| Cattle egrets in buff plumage feeding near a white rhino in Lake Nakuru NP in Kenya. Photo by Mark Edwards. |
It is white and has bluff plumes in mating season.
Watch out, little birdie, or you might accidentally be picking bugs out of that rhino's teeth...
ReplyDeleteI like these birds who pick bugs off of animals. If only I could train them to pick up after various family members.
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