What is the cattle egret?
Q: What is the cattle egret?
A: The cattle egret is a species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones.
Q: How many subspecies of cattle egret are there?
A: There are two subspecies of the cattle egret – the western cattle egret and the eastern cattle egret.
Q: What is the appearance of the cattle egret?
A: The cattle egret is a white bird with buff plumes in the breeding season.
Q: Where does the cattle egret usually nest?
A: The cattle egret usually nests in colonies near bodies of water, often with other wading birds.
Q: What is the diet of the cattle egret?
A: The cattle egret feeds in dry grassy habitats and feeds on insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by cattle and other large mammals. It also captures ticks and flies from cattle.
Q: Why has the distribution of the cattle egret expanded rapidly?
A: The distribution of the cattle egret has expanded rapidly because humans now raise domesticated cattle throughout most of the world.
Q: What are some potential dangers of the cattle egret?
A: The cattle egret can be a safety hazard at airfields and has been implicated in the spread of tick-borne animal diseases.
