Cattle Egret

Bubulcus ibis

Other Names

  Common Cattle-Egret, Buff-backed Heron   Héron garde-boeufs, Héron gardeboeufs, Gardeboeuf aigrette   Kuhreiher   Garcila Bueyera   Kohäger   Koereiger   Airone guardabuoi

World: Palearctic and African regions, across most of Africa (including Madagascar), SW Europe, N & C America and parts of S America including the Guianas, N Chile, NE Argentina and parts of Brazil.

Kenya: Found across much of the country except in the very arid areas of the NE.

A common and gregarious egret which is found alongside large mammals. It can be found on dry grasslands often at a considerable distance from water. It feeds on insects (including locusts and grasshoppers), crustaceans, frogs, tadpoles, molluscs as well as fish, lizards and small birds. It nests in large colonies in low trees and also roosts communally. Flocks can be observed moving to and from their overnight roosts in formation (often these are V-shaped). See African Egrets? Holy Cow! for more on Cattle egrets and their spread throughout the world.