5 Facts About the Cattle Egret Bubulcus Ibis Bird

These birds walk with ease. They're very quiet and I usually see them hanging around cows. I'm from Texas so these birds are very common around here. I've always thought they were neat little birds. When I mow my yard they like to hunt for their food in my fresh cut grass. You don't usually see these in the city of Houston but where I live in the country south of Houston, they're very common. They seem to be a cows best friend. They always hang out together but sometimes the cows get irritated. I've seen a cow rear it's had back on more than one occasion in a way to tell the bird to back off. Because of my fascination with these birds, I thought I'd research them and provide you with some facts that I found along the way.

I always called these cowbirds because that's what I was told they were called. I believed it because they hung around cows all the time. When I started my research on cowbirds, I quickly realized these were not the birds I wanted to write about. So I researched further to find out they are really Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis.

1. This bird is native to Africa and Asia. They eventually migrated to Australia and parts of Southeastern America. Good move Cattle Egret. All the food is bigger in Texas!

2. They stand somewhat hunched over. They're about 46-56 cm tall and their wingspan is about 88-96 cm. Their color is mostly white.

3. The Cattle Egret chills with grazing animals such as livestock, elephants, buffalo and other large animals you might see at a zoo. The Cattle Egrets eat small animals such as crickets, flies, grasshoppers, even spiders and frogs! All they do is hang around the grazing animal. As the large animal eats, it stirs up the small animals for the Cattle Egret to dart forward and swallow their prey whole. I'm sure it's looks easier than it really is.

4. Cattle Egrets help control the flies around grazing animals which Ranchers seem to think do a better job than pesticides.

5. When they lay eggs, there are anywhere from 2 to 6 eggs which only take 18 to 30 days to hatch.

I hope this helps you understand a little more about a bird you knew little about. I'm a firm believer in learning as much as you can so this is an easy way for you to get your knowledge.