Western Cattle Egret (Héron garde-boeufs) in Hawkesville, ON

     The arrival of a Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) in nearby Hawkesville was a source of considerable excitement and pleasure for local birders, and attracted numerous visitors from farther afield too. 

     This bird appears healthy and has now been present for a little over a week since first being discovered, on 31 October to the best of my knowledge. 

     The weather has been so uncharacteristically mild of late (yesterday the temperature nudged 20 degrees) that there appears to be an abundance of grasshoppers and other insects even this late in the season, and the bird was feeding successfully.

     The only other time that Miriam and I have seen this species in Waterloo Region was on 21 October 2016 on Streicher Line in Wellesley Township. Given the timing of the two sightings, this perhaps indicates some form of post-breeding dispersal.

     Cattle Egret has an interesting history of translocation from the grasslands of Africa, where it followed the huge herds of ungulates, to ship-assisted passage to South America, where it quickly became established. Progression northwards occurred almost right away and North America was colonized, to the point where Cattle Egret is now the most numerous heron. As early as 1974 there were over 400,000 birds in the eastern USA alone. (The Herons (2005), Kushlan and Hancock).

     Similar colonization has occurred in Europe and Cattle Egrets are being sighted with increasing regularity in Britain. This follows the recent success of Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) in establishing a population there, and Great Egret (Ardea alba) seems destined to follow.

     Herons, one might conclude, are avian pioneers!

     There has long been taxonomic debate about the eastern and western forms of Cattle Egret. See as follows from The Herons cited above.

"The general placement of Cattle Egret has been uncertain, leading to its being assigned to the pond heron genus, Ardeola, and to its own genus, Bubulcus. The uncertainty was due to difficulty unravelling evolutionary relationships disguised by morphological adaptations to terrestrial foraging. The recognition of the two currently recognized subspecies deserves additional study as their distinct ranges and distinctive plumages, and perhaps body proportions suggest they may be separate species."

     To expect uniformity from taxonomists seems to be a bit of a fantasy but the IOC World Bird Names accepted two species, Western Cattle and Eastern Cattle Egret (B. coromandus). See IOC World Bird Names 10.2 for complete lists.

     Regardless of the taxonomic niceties and whether you consider this individual a full species or a sub species, it is a splendid visitor to our area, welcomed by bird lovers everywhere, especially those who have never encountered it before.

     One wonders, given the proclivity of this species to establish new populations, and the continuing warming experienced in southern Ontario, how long it will take before it becomes a regularly breeding species here. Sooner rather than later would be my guess.

     In the meantime, enjoy this visitor from afar! It won't stay much longer.

Western Cattle Egret (Héron garde-boeufs) on Cuba

     Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis is a medium-sized, short legged white egret with a stout, relatively short yellow bill.

     Its range expansion during the twentieth century has been nothing short of sensational. From its original range in Africa it has expanded, by natural means to South America, onward to the islands of the Caribbean, the United States and is now regularly seen in the southernmost regions of Canada. It occupies the rank of the most numerous heron in North America.

     During our recent trip to Cuba we encountered this species every day, often feeding in commensal fashion with livestock, giving credence to its name.

         Its normal diet comprises insects, especially grasshoppers. Locust, grasshoppers and crickets are the common element of its world-wide diet and its feeding strategy seems designed to locate and capture orthopterans. Other components of its insectivorous feeding regimen include flies, beetles, caterpillars, dragonflies, mayflies and cicadas. Other prey includes molluscs, crayfish, frogs, tadpoles, lizards, snakes, fish, rats and birds. Vertebrates, especially frogs are important during the late nesting season to provide high-energy packets and calcium needed for development.
       It is safe to assume that like most birds Cattle Egrets are opportunistic feeders and do not hesitate to capture whatever is available. Thus it was that Franc Gorenc photographed this sequence of an individual capturing and consuming a lizard.

       Franc has often expressed to me that while he is happy when he obtains a great portrait of a bird, he is far more satisfied when he can capture a sequence of the bird acting out its life. A record of behavioural detail is what pleases him most and he often dedicates countless hours to shooting hundreds of frames in the hope of recording such an event.
       I think all would agree that with this Western Cattle Egret at Club Amigo Marea del Portillo in eastern Cuba he has succeeded splendidly.
       As always I am indebted to Franc for his enthusiasm in providing me with pictures to grace my blog; he is indeed a dedicated and skilled photographer, and a fine gentleman. It is my pleasure to call him my friend.