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Cattle Egret - (Bubulcus ibis)
Identification
- Small, stocky white heron
- Some orangish wash on feathers in breeding plumage, especially on head
- Bill and legs yellow
- 20" (51 cm.)
Habitat
- Fields and pastures for feeding
- Uses medium to tall trees in uplands or swamps
Additional Information
- Uncommon to rare migrant in SW Wisconsin
- Arrived in the Americas from Africa, apparently on its own, in the 1940's and
reached North America (perhaps via the West Indies), in the early '50s. First noted in Wisconsin around 1960. - Breeding is confined to a few sites in eastern Wisconsin
- Range increasing (populations decreased from 1980-2002)
- Often forages for insects near cattle or other livestock
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