Western Cattle Egret (Ardea ibis)
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Western Cattle Egret

Ardea ibis Linnaeus, 1758

The western cattle egret (Ardea ibis) is a species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones.

Busiest months: April · Most records: United States, Spain, Costa Rica

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April · Most records: United States, Spain, Costa Rica

Western Cattle Egret has been recorded at 3,397 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 170 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Lake Apopka Wildlife DriveUnited States11,955 records
  2. The Celery FieldsUnited States11,208 records
  3. Sweetwater Wetlands ParkUnited States9,512 records
More places
  1. Wakodahatchee WetlandsUnited States7,950 records
  2. Green Cay Wetlands & Nature CenterUnited States6,766 records
  3. Orlando WetlandsUnited States6,758 records
  4. Merritt Island NWR – Black Point Wildlife DriveUnited States6,743 records
  5. High Island – Smith Oaks SanctuaryUnited States6,353 records
  6. Jocelyn Nungaray NWR (Anahuac)United States5,660 records
  7. Hagerman NWRUnited States5,248 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesSpainCosta RicaColombiaPortugalMexicoIsraelSouth Africa

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The western cattle egret (Ardea ibis) is a species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. Formerly, most taxonomic authorities lumped this species and the eastern cattle egret together (called the cattle egret), but the two cattle egrets are now treated as separate species. Despite the similarities in plumage to the egrets of the genus Egretta, it is more closely related to the herons of Ardea.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

Where does the Western Cattle Egret live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic, Africa, North America, Middle America, South America: southern Europe to Iran, Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, North to South America. It is most often recorded in United States, Spain and Costa Rica.

When is the best time to see the Western Cattle Egret?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Western Cattle Egret endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Western Cattle Egret as Least Concern.

What family is the Western Cattle Egret in?

It belongs to the family Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae), order Pelecaniformes.

At a glance

Conservation
Least Concern

Range

Palearctic, Africa, North America, Middle America, South America: southern Europe to Iran, Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, North to South America

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Herons, Bitterns Ardeidae
Genus
Ardea

Other birds in the genus Ardea

White-necked HeronWhite-necked HeronArdea pacificaGreat EgretGreat EgretArdea albaYellow-billed EgretYellow-billed EgretArdea brachyrhynchaMedium EgretMedium EgretArdea intermediaPlumed EgretPlumed EgretArdea plumiferaEastern Cattle EgretEastern Cattle EgretArdea coromandaGrey HeronGrey HeronArdea cinereaGreat Blue HeronGreat Blue HeronArdea herodiasCocoi HeronCocoi HeronArdea cocoiPurple HeronPurple HeronArdea purpureaHumblot's HeronHumblot's HeronArdea humblotiWhite-bellied HeronWhite-bellied HeronArdea insignis
Western Cattle Egret

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Алексей Сизов. ↗

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