Western Cattle Egret: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Herons, Egrets and Pelicans · day 1 of 7

Five facts

1. Cattle egrets walk beside grazing cows and snap up the insects they stir up. Next to cattle, they catch 3.6 times more prey than alone.
2. It picks the right walking pace: in Africa it prefers animals moving 5 to 15 steps a minute, such as zebras, wildebeest and buffalo.
3. In 1877 cattle egrets turned up in South America, apparently after flying across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa on their own.
4. Built for hunting on dry land, this heron has lost its relatives' knack for judging how water bends light.
5. Just before pairing up, a western cattle egret's bill, legs and eyes turn bright red for a short time.

The quiz

1. How much more prey does a cattle egret catch when it feeds next to cattle?

• Half as much
• 3.6 times more (correct)
• The same amount
• 100 times more

Feeding with cattle makes it 3.6 times more successful than feeding alone.

2. Which grazing animals does the cattle egret prefer to follow?

• Very fast runners
• Animals that stand perfectly still
• Animals walking 5 to 15 steps a minute (correct)
• Only animals in water

It avoids faster and slower herds and picks animals moving 5 to 15 steps a minute.

3. How did cattle egrets first reach the Americas?

• Apparently by flying across the Atlantic (correct)
• On cattle ships
• Released by a zoo
• Over a land bridge from Asia

First seen there in 1877, they had apparently flown across the Atlantic.

4. What skill has the cattle egret lost compared with its wetland relatives?

• Flying long distances
• Building nests
• Seeing in colour
• Judging how water bends light (correct)

Adapted to land, it can no longer accurately correct for light bending in water.

5. What colour do a western cattle egret's bill, legs and eyes briefly turn before pairing?

• Blue
• Bright red (correct)
• Black
• Green

For a short time before pairing, they become bright red.

More about the Western Cattle Egret

Same week

All lessons

Nature documentaries