article thumbnail

The Cattle Egret Expansion

10,000 Birds

I’d like to introduce you to a diminutive heron, the Cattle Egret Bubuclus ibis. The Cattle Egret is native to Africa, where it is a familiar sight among herds of large mammals. They feed on insects stirred up by the herds, at times sitting on the animal itself picking off ticks and other insects. coromandus.

Cattle 170
article thumbnail

The Change in Seasons

10,000 Birds

The shift in season is mirrored by the animals, some migrate, others sprout antlers, others prepare for hibernation. The first step in preparing for the breeding season is getting ready for courtship. The often overlooked Cattle Egret has legs that turn bright pink during this brief courtship period.

Cattle 182
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

The 20 most common birds in Shanghai (Part 1)

10,000 Birds

But the way it is, familiarity breeds (relative) contempt. The Cattle Egret (or Eastern Cattle Egret , to be exact, but that would mess with my alphabetic order) can be seen in farmland around Shanghai. Instead of cattle, it nowadays often follows tractors ploughing the fields and thus stirring up small animals.

Germany 127
article thumbnail

Castellare di Castellina: Chianti Classico (2019)

10,000 Birds

Bologna La Grassa may revel in the indulgence of its Parma ham, lasagne, and rich, fatty ragùs, and Venice may boast the bounty of the sea, but the rugged, hilly homeland of the ancient Etruscans is undoubtedly cattle country. Of course, a land of beefeaters needs butchers.

2019 218
article thumbnail

Critically Endangered: Sociable Lapwing

10,000 Birds

Sociable Lapwings breed in several areas along the Kazakhstani – Russian border and overwinter in Iraq, Sudan and northwest India. That can be traced back in time to 1875, when Alfred Brehm wrote that he had found Sociable Lapwings only alongside the domestic cattle. Sam claims that they are always there, 26 of them only a week ago.

India 245
article thumbnail

Birding Chongming Island in summer

10,000 Birds

Some differences in animal behavior are quite striking. According to the HBW, when breeding, male birds do most of the incubation and parenting while females often leave the nest up to one week before the eggs hatch. It concludes that human activity influences the breeding activity of the lapwing. End of side note.

Birds 162
article thumbnail

Revenge Birding (Shanghai, early June 2022)

10,000 Birds

. … Nest dismantling by the Hair-crested Drongo may be an adaptive behavior to increase fitness by reducing risk of future predation and competition for nest sites in the following breeding season” ( source ). When Cattle Egrets go to the local discotheque, they tend to overdo their makeup a bit. ” ( source ).

Singapore 147