Cattle Egret Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)

Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) are small members of the Heron family and were originally natives of warmer climes like Africa. However, they were first  reported to have bred in the UK in 2008 when two nesting pairs were spotted in Somerset.

Since then the number of Cattle Egrets seen in the UK has grown with as many as 200 breeding pairs having been reported. Their numbers are largest in the south west of the UK where the climate is more temperate but there have even been reports of Cattle Egrets from the Scottish mainland.

In this article we’ll take a look at the life cycle of these interesting birds as well as much more besides, Keep reading to find out more.

How Long Does A Cattle Egret Live?

Although there hasn’t been much study on the Cattle Egret in the UK, they are known to live for more than 20 years in captivity. In the US, a Cattle Egret was captured and released in Pennsylvania in 1979 that was 17 years old.

So it’s pretty safe to assume that given the right conditions, Cattle Egrets can survive in the wild for a long time.

How Fast Can A Cattle Egret Fly?

Cattle Egrets can reach a top speed of around 27 to 31 miles per hour (43 to 51 km/h) during migratory flights. They fly with rapid, shallow wing beats typically in flocks and usually low to the ground (about ½ a mile (1 kilometre) above the ground). 

Cattle Egrets often fly in formation with their necks back and legs extended out past their body.

Are Cattle Egrets Aggressive?

Cattle Egrets are generally peaceful birds and don’t usually show any aggression towards other species. Having said that, they often show aggressive behaviour during the breeding season or when defending their nesting sites.

They can also become aggressive towards others of their own species if they stray too close to the cow that particular bird has aligned itself with. 

Cattle Egrets get their name due to their habit of following herds of cows or other large grazing animals and eat any invertebrates that are disturbed by the hooves of these large grazing animals. They are also known to hitch a ride on the backs of cows and remove any ticks and fleas found on the cow or other large animals back and eat them.

This is a mutually beneficial arrangement and is tolerated by the grazing animals.

What Is A Cattle Egrets Habitat?

The habitat of the Cattle Egret are varied and include grasslands, pastures, farmlands, wetlands and rice paddies. They are most commonly seen accompanying cattle or other large grazing animals catching insects and other small vertebrates disturbed by these larger animals.

Their range has increased in the last 50 years or so. They were originally only native to Portugal and southern Spain as well as tropical and subtropical Africa and parts of subtropical Asia.

They have since spread to South Africa, Guiana, North America, Canada, Cuba, Costa Rica, Mexico, France, as well as the UK and Ireland.

How Long Does It Take For A Cattle Egret To Build A Nest?

It generally takes a breeding pair of Cattle Egrets around 4 to 5 days to construct a nest. The nest is made from twigs, reeds and branches which are typically not lined. It is a shallow cup-shaped nest around 15 inches (40cm) wide and 4.5 inches (12 cm) deep.

The nest is placed in reed beds, bushes or low trees. Although both the male and female build the nest together, it’s the female that does most of the construction.

Even after the nest is completed, the pair will still add new sticks right up until the eggs hatch.

Cattle Egrets tend to nest in colonies to help reduce the risk of predation. This is because the presence of large numbers of birds will deter predators like snakes, crows and large birds of prey.

Eggs

Once the pair have successfully built their nest, we move on to the next stage in their life cycle, the eggs.

When Do Cattle Egrets Lay Eggs?

The breeding season for Cattle Egrets varies and is dependent on geographical location and climatic variations. In India, Cattle Egrets start breeding in May to coincide with the monsoons, in Australia the breeding season runs from November to January, in the US the breeding season runs from April to October.

In the UK, Cattle Egrets breed in spring laying eggs anywhere between late March and mid June

How Many Eggs Does A Cattle Egret Lay?

An average clutch contains 2 to 5 eggs with eggs laid at 48 hour intervals. If the eggs fail to develop, Cattle Egrets will renest if it’s not too late in the season.

What Do Cattle Egret Eggs Look Like?

The eggs are oval, slightly pointed and white with a pale green or bluish tinge and measure around 40 to 52 mm x 30 to 36 mm in size.

How Long Do Cattle Egret Eggs Take To Hatch?

Both parents take turns incubating the eggs with incubation starting as soon as the first egg is laid. The eggs are incubated for around 21 to 26 days. The male and female take roughly 6 hour stints swapping around 4 times in a 24 hour period.

The eggs hatch asynchronously about 1 to 2 days apart with varied success rates.

Chicks

After the eggs hatch we move on to the next stage in the life cycle of the Cattle Egret, the chicks.

How Many Chicks Does A Cattle Egret Have?

In most areas, the egg to chick success rate is somewhere between 50 to 90%. This means that from a clutch of 6 eggs we can expect somewhere between 3 to 5 chicks to hatch successfully.

When Do Cattle Egret Chicks Open Their Eyes?

Cattle Egret chicks are altricial which means they are completely blind, naked and dependent on their parents from the moment they hatch. They tend to open their eyes on days 7 to 10. As the chicks develop, they become more and more aggressive in their pursuit of the food supplied by both parents.

With the first hatchlings typically fed first due to their larger size and dominance.

When Do Cattle Egret Chicks Fledge?

 By the time the chicks reach 13 to 21 days, they are fully feathered and almost ready to fledge the nest. They typically fledge when they are around 30 days old.

However, they don’t attain full independence for around another 15 days. For around 2 weeks before they fledge the young chicks leave the nest and climb into nearby branches.

SEE ALSO: Dotterel Diet and Size: Feeding Habits, Predators, and Measurements

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