(Western) Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

Cattle Egret pink beak and pink legs
Cattle Egret
The Cattle Egret is a small egret originally from Eurasia/Africa but now colonised worldwide. Although it nests near water, classed as a "wader" and will eat fish/crustaceans, it is more usually associated with cattle and other large livestock (hence its common English and scientific names) and eats insects disturbed by them or on them such as ticks.
Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret
The Cattle Egret's non-breeding plumage is white, its bill yellow and legs grey/yellow; breeding plumage has a red pink blush on head, face and throat, with red beak, legs and, sometimes, irises.
Cattle Egret Male and female have similar plumage (juvenile has black bill).
Cattle Egret Non-breeding all white plumage (sometimes dark grey legs).
Cattle Egret Black legs.
Cattle Egret A food morsel.
Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret A gregarious bird which roosts in colonies in trees.
Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret Nesting (and the crest and red bill).
Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret
Stop press: Since writing this page, the "Asian subspecies" has been split out by some authorities and called the Eastern Cattle Egret, B. coromandus (and B. ibis called the Western Cattle Egret). Eastern birds moved to new page (see link below).
Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret Pink breeding plumage.
Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret non-breeding plumage Non-breeding all white plumage
Cattle Egret with black legs with black legs.