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Cattle Egrets, originally from Africa, first arrived in the Western Hemisphere in
the 1930s and quickly spread throughout North America. They are often observed in close
association with cattle and following tractors searching for fleeing insects and small
mammals. They have shorter bills, necks and stockier bodies than other white egrets. The
dark bills of juveniles change to yellow as they become adults. During the breeding
season, adults develop orange-buff colored crest, back and breast feathers. Their legs
turn from a darker green to yellow or pinkish-red. Like other species of herons and egrets
they nest colonially, often in mixed-species flocks and primarily in trees. They are often
found in large breeding colonies.
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