Western Cattle-Egret

Ardea ibis

Audubon Illustration

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

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About the Western Cattle-Egret

The western cattle egret (Ardea ibis) is a species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. Formerly, most taxonomic authorities lumped this species and the eastern cattle egret together (called the cattle egret), but the two cattle egrets are now treated as separate species. Despite the similarities in plumage to the egrets of the genus Egretta, it is more closely related to the herons of Ardea. Originally native to parts of Africa, southwest Asia and southern Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion in its distribution and successfully colonised much of the New World in the last century. It is a white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. It nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name: Ardea ibis
Family: Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
Order: Pelecaniformes

Similar species

Other members of the herons, egrets, and bitterns family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

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