Cattle Egret (gobirding.eu)

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

This species is one of the most cosmopolitan species in the world being common in nearly every continent. In the UK though it is a rare visitor from southern Europe although subject to occasional small influxes. Two recent winters saw especially significant influxes, concentrated in the south-west where the species bred for the first time in 2008.

Some recent Norfolk records were subject to suspicion as a contingent of six birds escaped upon delivery to Pensthorpe a while back, and cropped up at a number of sites around the county and beyond. They were all supposed to be colour-ringed, but in some cases the rings proved almost impossible to see. However, with no reports of ringed birds for some time now, and following two influxes into the south-west, the last well-watched Cattle Egret to appear in Norfolk managed to attract plenty of interest without its credentials being challenged.



Cattle Egret, Matlaske (Norfolk, UK), 14th February 2009

Cattle Egrets, Castro Marim (Algarve, Portugal), 27th April 2006

Cattle Egrets, Elvas (Alentejo, Portugal), 24th April 2006

Cattle Egrets, Elvas (Alentejo, Portugal), 24th April 2006	Cattle Egret, Ria Formosa (Algarve, Portugal), 27th April 2006

Cattle Egret, Mpatsanjoka, Senga Bay (Malawi), 9th October 2008

Cattle Egret, entrance to Nyala Park (Malawi), 21st May 2011



Cattle Egrets, Liwonde (Malawi), 26th May 2011 (the lower right one is on an Elephant)

Cattle Egrets, Cape Maclear (Malawi), 18th May 2011

Cattle Egret, Mpatsanjoka, Senga Bay (Malawi), 9th October 2008	Cattle Egret, Brawley (California, USA), 23rd April 2005

Cattle Egret, near Gimeaux (Bouche-du-Rhone, France), 30th May 2000	Cattle Egret, between Fontvielle and Raphele (Bouche-du-Rhone, France), 29th May 2000

Cattle Egret on the back of a sheep, Vallee des Baux (Bouche-du-Rhone, France), 30th May 2000	Cattle Egrets, near Gimeaux (Bouche-du-Rhone, France), 30th May 2000