There is a well-known rookery at Murphy Park in Taylor, Texas. Although the park is around 120 acres in size, the rookery is located in a relatively small lake. The big attraction is the sheer number of egrets, herons, and cormorants. On any given day, a visitor can see hundreds of birds competing for space in the center island. I will focus on the Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis) for this post.
Originally from Africa, this type of heron was introduced to North America in 1953. Since then, its numbers have increased. Nowadays, they are found in Africa, western Asia, southern Europe, and the Americas. Its counterpart, the Eastern Cattle-Egret, is common in southern and eastern Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Western Cattle-Egret’s diet consists of insects, which explains why these herons can be found around cattle, camels, ostriches, rhinos, and other animals. Their wingspan is 35–38 in (88–96 cm), and their body size measures 18–22 in (46–56 cm) in length with a weight of 9.5–18.1 oz (270–512 g).
The orange plumage seen in this photo is a common occurrence during the breeding season.
They are constantly keeping their nests in good condition. It is common to see cattle-egrets flying back and forth between their nesting ground and trees around that area. The male collects twigs for the nests, but it is the females’ responsibility to arrange those twigs.
As seen in the photo above, the nest is untidy but large enough to accommodate one to five eggs per breeding season. Both male and female cattle-egrets share incubation chores.
For sounds and more information, you can visit AllAboutBirds and Wikipedia.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you might also be interested in others featuring Bird of the Week, Parks, Texas, and Wildlife. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
For I.J. Khanewala’s Birds of the Week Invitation CXIX.
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Anita
You really succeed in a very beautiful way to highlight the fascinating life of the western cattle egret. A lovely tribute to these resilient and resourceful birds! Amazing photos Egidio!!
norasphotos4u
Gorgeous!!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Nora.
Amy
How beautiful! I love the landing shoot, Wow!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Amy. I don’t know how they fly so elegantly.
philosophy through photography
Fascinating post, Egidio!
Loved learning about these elegant, twig-toting travelers. Nature’s co-parenting pros with grace and feathers—what a sight that rookery must be! 🐦🌿
Egidio Leitao
Philo, many thanks for this feedback. The rookery is impressive. The sheer number of birds there makes it for a busy area. I often just zoom in and move the camera slowly to spot things going on.
philosophy through photography
Welcome, Egidio.
You are doing a great job through your posts by sharing knowledge.
Egidio Leitao
That’s wonderful to hear, my friend. Many thanks.
Anne Sandler
What a beautiful egret Egidio! I’ve never seen one here in Northern California. Thanks for the introduction.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you for the feedback, Anne.
Toonsarah
I’ve never seen an egret any colour other than white, this is beautiful! The same can’t really be said of the chicks but I’m sure they’ll grow up to be equally so 😀
Egidio Leitao
Let’s hope so, Sarah. These birds are really pretty in the breeding season.
Writing to Freedom
I’ve never seen this egret. Thanks for the great photos and background Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
Thank you for the compliment, Brad. I had heard of them but had not had a chance to photograph them until this year. Some of the photos I posted were captured yesterday.
Writing to Freedom
Wonderful.
bushboy
Fabulous photo Egidio, Your Cattle Egrets are far more prettier than the Cattle Egrets here. In a coincidence, I am posting Cattle Egrets this week also
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Brian. I’m looking forward to your post. I know these photos were captured during the breeding season. So, there’s more color in the bird’s plumage.
margaret21
So pretty!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Margaret.
Priti
Wow , so cute heron ✌️origin from Africa but you captured great 👍
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for writing. There are plenty of them in the US now.
Donna Robinson Photography
Beautiful captures Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Donna.
shoreacres
I see these birds often, but never have seen them in their breeding colors. An occasional brushing of orange is all that I see. Perhaps the season is short, and once they’re done mating and breeding the colors begin to fade. The photos are marvelous; my favorite is of the wind-blown feathers.
Egidio Leitao
According to the Texas Breeding Bird Atlas, their breeding season goes from “April (1st eggs) to mid-September (last fledglings).”
Tranature - quiet moments in nature
Beautiful photographs Egídio and what a treat to see these amazing birds! 😊
Egidio Leitao
Xenia, thank you. It is wonderful to see and observe their routines.
Tra Italia e Finlandia
Veramente graziose!
Egidio Leitao
Grazie mille.
restlessjo
Such a pretty bird! I’ve only ever seen white egrets xx
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Jo. This park is the only place I’ve seen them.
niasunset
ah what a lovely one in pink.. I loved so much. Thank you, have a nice day, Love, nia
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Nia. Enjoy your week.
Leanne Cole
Beautiful.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Leanne.
I. J. Khanewala
Cattle egrets are lovely birds; great photos. Are they considered pests in the Americas?
Egidio Leitao
They are not considered pests here. They look so cute with that added orange plumage.
sandyjwhite
Gorgeous bird!
Egidio Leitao
They really are. I’m happy you liked them, too. Thanks, Sandy.
sandyjwhite
Welcome, Egidio.
Vicki
Wow, those photos are stunning, Egidio.
Beautifully shot and processed (assuming you did some editing to define that feather detail).
Almost National Geographic quality to my eyes. Thanks for sharing, especially the last shot of the parents feeding their offspring.
Egidio Leitao
Vicki, your comments will give me a good night’s rest. Many thanks! Yes, I always edit my photos for clarity, especially since I only shoot in RAW. That last shot almost did not get added to the post. I thought it was so busy, but the baby cattle-egret’s expression was important for me. The other shot I had was less busy, but there was only one baby cattle-egret in the nest. Thanks again.
nesfelicio
Beautiful capture! That orange plumage is fantastic. I haven’t seen it yet. Thanks for sharing.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Nes. I was also mesmerized with the plumage and couldn’t get enough photos of that heron.