Cattle Egret

Habitat: Breeding colonies in trees and bushes near lakes and rivers. Also often forages in dry habitats, among grazing livestock, in fields and grasslands, but certainly also in wet marshes.

Appearance: In Spain, Portugal, France and Turkey. In Belgium and the Netherlands, an extremely scarce breeding bird – rare – winter visitor in very small numbers.

Breeding season: April – May, nest made of reeds, twigs and branches collected by the male, 2-5 eggs.

Characteristics: Length 45 – 52 cm, wingspan 82 – 95 cm, weight 360 grams, age 10 – 15 years.

Food: Mainly insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, but quite variable: small fish, frogs, worms, mice and the like may also be on the menu. Regularly forages among livestock to hunt insects that are kicked up by their hooves.