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Ardea ibis Linnaeus, 1758
Western Cattle-egret
Cattle Egret
Synonym(s): Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Not native to Florida
Native to Africa , Asia and Spain, cattle egrets are now found throughout the United States and much of South America.
They are the most terrestrial member of the heron family, usually seen following behind large animals such as cattle or horses and farm equipment to catch the insects that are disturbed. Cattle egrets are even attracted to large fires to catch insects fleeing the flames.
A medium sized white heron 50 cm long (20 in.) with a wingspan of nearly a meter (36 in.). Cattle egrets have short dark legs that become reddish in breeding plumage, along with pale orange patches on the back, head crest and breast. Juvenile bills are dark, adults are yellow, then more orange during breeding.
Ardea ibis is a member of the Ardeidae - Herons & Bitterns family.
Other species of the Ardea genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Ardea alba - GREAT EGRET
Ardea herodias - GREAT BLUE HERON
Ardea herodias var. occidentalis - GREAT WHITE HERON
iNaturalist profile for this species
For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds page for this species
Date record last modified: Apr 26, 2025
