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Description

The cattle egret is a stocky heron with an 88–96 cm (35–38 in) wingspan; it is 46–56 cm (18–22 in) long and weighs 270–512 g (9.5–18.1 oz).[13] It has a relatively short thick neck, a sturdy bill , and a hunched posture. The non-breeding adult has mainly white plumage, a yellow bill and greyish-yellow legs. During the breeding season, adults of the nominate western subspecies develop orange-buff plumes on the back, breast and crown , and the bill, legs and irises become bright red for a brief period prior to pairing.[14] The sexes are similar, but the male is marginally larger and has slightly longer breeding plumes than the female; juvenile birds lack coloured plumes and have a black bill.

The cattle egret nests in colonies , which are often, but not always, found around bodies of water.[22] The colonies are usually found in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in swamps, or on small inland or coastal islands, and are sometimes shared with other wetland birds, such as herons , egrets , ibises and cormorants . The breeding season varies within South Asia .[8] Nesting in northern India begins with the onset of monsoons in May.[41] The breeding season in Australia is November to early January, with one brood laid per season.[42] The North American breeding season lasts from April to October.[22] In the Seychelles , the breeding season of the subspecies B.i. seychellarum is April to October.

Source Reference: Wikipedia

© DPasschier. All rights reserved. My images may not be reproduced or used in any form without my permission.

Description

The cattle egret is a stocky heron with an 88–96 cm (35–38 in) wingspan; it is 46–56 cm (18–22 in) long and weighs 270–512 g (9.5–18.1 oz).[13] It has a relatively short thick neck, a sturdy bill , and a hunched posture. The non-breeding adult has mainly white plumage, a yellow bill and greyish-yellow legs. During the breeding season, adults of the nominate western subspecies develop orange-buff plumes on the back, breast and crown , and the bill, legs and irises become bright red for a brief period prior to pairing.[14] The sexes are similar, but the male is marginally larger and has slightly longer breeding plumes than the female; juvenile birds lack coloured plumes and have a black bill.

The cattle egret nests in colonies , which are often, but not always, found around bodies of water.[22] The colonies are usually found in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in swamps, or on small inland or coastal islands, and are sometimes shared with other wetland birds, such as herons , egrets , ibises and cormorants . The breeding season varies within South Asia .[8] Nesting in northern India begins with the onset of monsoons in May.[41] The breeding season in Australia is November to early January, with one brood laid per season.[42] The North American breeding season lasts from April to October.[22] In the Seychelles , the breeding season of the subspecies B.i. seychellarum is April to October.

Source Reference: Wikipedia

© DPasschier. All rights reserved. My images may not be reproduced or used in any form without my permission.