Cattle Egrets are usually seen with grazing animals on coastal plains and wetlands.

They are medium sized, stocky, short necked, white herons. Their bills and feet are pale yellow. When breeding the feathers of the neck and back are orange buff and the bill is red.

Cattle egrets eat insects, frogs and other small animals. They roost over water and nest in large colonies with other waterbirds.

A male chooses a nest site in a tree then attracts a female by raising special courtship plumes and waving sticks. The 3-6 pale blue eggs are incubated for 22-26 days by both parents.

This egret probably arrived in northern Australia about 1940. Since then, it has spread to all States. It does not breed in Victoria or Tasmania.