How did I miss the memo!?! The Cattle Egret that I’ve enjoyed observing, often in fields feeding near livestock and rarely ever near water like most other egrets and herons, got a name change! It wasn’t until I read about Judy Morr’s travels to Florida a few weeks ago that I even realized a change had happened!
My first question was, “when did this happen?” It turns out the change was announced in October 2023, so I’m not that out of touch.
My next question, “did I gain a ‘life bird?’” For this, I looked to see the locations of the two types of cattle egret. Once I realized Eastern Cattle Egret are found in southern and eastern Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, I checked my own eBird life list. Sure enough, without even traveling, my life list grew by one in 2023, when ornithologists split the former Cattle Egret into two species. I had seen what is now called an Eastern Cattle Egret in Queensland, Australia in December 2018. (Unfortunately, no photos were taken.)
Then I was curious, “where have I seen the Western Cattle Egret?” Turns out, we’ve documented seeing Western Cattle Egret in the US (SC, FL, TX), Spain, Zambia, Botswana, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico.
If you are not familiar with the Western Cattle Egret (formerly Cattle Egret), it looks similar to a Snowy Egret, but it has a thick yellow bill and it holds its neck closer to its body. During the breeding season, it has yellow plumes on its head and neck. The legs and bill will turn bright red during peak breeding.
The Eastern Cattle Egret differs from the Western species in breeding plumage, when the buff color on its head extends to the cheeks and throat, and the plumes are more golden in color.
You will find the cattle egrets in fields hanging out with livestock rather than water locations like other egrets and herons It forages at the feet of grazing cattle, mostly on insects disturbed by the livestock. Grasshoppers and crickets are the biggest item on their menu. Elsewhere in the world, the Western Cattle Egret forages alongside camels, ostriches, rhinos, elephants, tortoises, as well as the tractors of farmers. Migrating Western Cattle Egrets have even been seen hunting migrating warblers in the Dry Tortugas off the coast of Florida.
According to All About Birds, Western Cattle Egrets are native to Africa, but somehow reached northeastern South America in 1877. They continued to spread, arriving in the United States in 1941 and nesting here by 1953. In the next 50 years, they became one of the most abundant of the North American herons, showing up as far north as Alaska and Newfoundland.
Western Cattle Egret are more commonly found in the Charleston County area from late March through October, as suggested by the Weekly Bar Chart. On Seabrook Island, they are normally seen in two locations. One is at the equestrian center as they forage for insects stirred up by the horses. The second location is a fairly recent spring nesting location in the pond on the 4th hole of Ocean Winds Golf Course. They can also be seen in the pastures along both Bohicket Rd and River Rd.
Article written by Nancy Brown
Photos by Nancy Brown & Bob Mercer