July 25, 2010 - Cattle Egrets at Gatorland

When I attended the photography workshop in Florida, I went early and spent a day at Gatorland in Kissimmee, FL. In addition to their theme park exhibits, Gatorland has an area they call the Breeding Marsh and Rookery. This is a large area of water where resident alligators live. Many herons, egrets, and Wood Storks nest in the trees because the alligators ensure that no land predators will be around to bother the nestlings. A boardwalk runs along one side of the marsh so visitors can get close looks at the alligators and the nesting birds. I got lots of great photos there, and this week I’m featuring Cattle Egrets in their very colorful breeding plumage.

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This is what a Cattle Egret looks like in its non-breeding plumage. The feathers are all white, legs are black, and the eye and bill are yellow. (This photo was taken in Hawaii during October. The rest of the photos were taken at Gatorland in May.)

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The Cattle Egret’s breeding plumage includes a tan colored crest.

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During the peak of the breeding season, the eyes and most of the bill become red. The skin between the eyes and the bill (called the lores) turns purple/pink. It’s quite a transformation from the non-breeding plumage (above).

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Cattle Egrets are found all around the world. Most birds in the egret and heron families are found around water. Cattle Egrets, however, are usually found in grazing areas near cattle, African Buffalo, and Elephants. These grazing animals stir up lots of insects for the birds to eat.

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Breeding plumage also includes tan feathers on the chest and back. Note that the legs change from black to red during the breeding season.

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These are really beautiful birds and I was happy to see them in their colorful breeding plumage.

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