Western Cattle-Egret Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Compared with other herons, Western Cattle-Egrets are noticeably small and compact. They have relatively short legs and a short thick neck. The straight, daggerlike bill is shorter and thicker than other herons. They have medium-length, broad, rounded wings.

  Relative Size

  Smaller and stockier than a Snowy Egret; larger than a Green Heron.

  between crow and goose

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 18.1-22.1 in (46-56 cm)
    • Weight: 9.5-18.1 oz (270-512 g)
    • Wingspan: 34.6-37.8 in (88-96 cm)

  © Samuel Paul Galick / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Adult Western Cattle-Egrets are all white with a yellow bill and legs. In breeding plumage they have golden plumes on their head, chest, and back. Juveniles have dark legs and bill.

• Behavior

  Western Cattle-Egrets stalk insects and other small animals on the ground in grassy fields. They are much less often seen in water than other herons. They nest in dense colonies of stick nests in trees or emergent wetlands, often mixed with other species of herons.
• Habitat

  They forage in flocks in upland areas such as pastures and fields, generally focusing on drier habitats than other species of white herons.