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The cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard two of its subspecies as full species, the western cattle egret and the eastern cattle egret. Despite the similarities in plumage to the egrets of the genus Egretta, it is more closely related to the herons of Ardea. Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion in its distribution and successfully colonised much of the rest of the world in the last century.
Scientific Name : Bubulcus ibis
Family : Ardeidae
Order : Pelecaniformes
Class : Aves
Type : Bitterns, Herons And Egrets
Conservation Status : Least concern (LC)
Size : 46 - 56 cm
Compare Size : Hen +-
Wingspan : 88 - 96 cm
Weight : 270 - 512 g
Migratory : Resident Migrant
Sex Alike : Yes
Nesting Season : June - August (North), November - March (South)
Other Names :
Hindi : सुराखिया
Marathi : गायबगळा, ढोर बगळा
Habitat:
Coastal barrier islands, Marshes, Reservoirs, Lakes, Quarries, Swamps, Riverside Woodlands, and Upland forests
Breeding:
Eggs - 3 - 5, pale skim-milk blue
Feeding:
Insects, Grasshoppers, Crickets, Flies (adults and maggots), Moths, Spiders, Frogs, and Earthworms
| Male & Female | |
|---|---|
| Neck | In breeding plumage - orange-buff but has variable white in front (throat area). In Non-breeding plumage - white |
| Head | In breeding plumage - orange-buff but variable white near base of bill. In Non-breeding plumage - white |
| Bill | yellow |
| Lores | yellow |
| Eyes | yellow |
| Back | In breeding plumage - orange-buff. In Non-breeding plumage - white |
| Note : hunched posture and relatively short thick neck and a sturdy bill comparedd to other egrets |
|
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| 12 Jan 2019 | Bird Watching Area, Bhandup West, Mumbai, Maharashtra |
