Eastern Cattle Egret (Bubulcus coromandus)

OTHER NAMES: Cattle Egret

Latin Etymology: Bubulcus ("cow-herd") coromandus ("of the Coromand coast")

Two Breeding plumage Adult Eastern Cattle Egret (Bubulcus coromandus) at Phnom Krom, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 270-512g  /  Length: 51cm  /  Wingspan: 88-96cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not yet Evaluated

As with the Eastern Great Egret, this is another case of a Eurasian heron species which has been split horizontally by some taxonomists yet remains lumped by others. In this case, the Eastern Cattle Egret is more widely accepted than the Eastern Great Egret, but still not that widely accepted.  The main difference between this species and its western counterparts (beyond obviously, range) is the breeding plumage - the buff colouration is more extensive in this species along with some other coloration differences.

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Bubulcus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name: កុកគោ ("cow ?")

Locally resident

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - One at Phnom Krom

MALAYSIA - Malay - Bangau Kerbau ("Buffalo Egret")

Locally common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Abundant on the fields of Simpang Airport, Kuala Lumpur but not seen elsewhere.

SINGAPORE - A resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Seen from moving car several times.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus*, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

OTHER NAMES: Cattle Egret

Latin Etymology: Bubulcus ("cow-herd") ibis ("ibis")

Winter plumage adult Western Cattle Egret (subspecies B. i. ibis) at El Rocio, Spain - December 2011

Featured Subspecies: Bubulcus ibis ibis
Weight: 270-512g  /  Length: 51cm  /  Wingspan: 88-96cm
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Cattle Egret has in the span of this blogs existence gone from largely a vagrant to a regular wintering visitor, with a population of around 100 each year, and may well continue from there.  It can be differentiated from the little egret by the yellow bill and from the great white egret by the smaller size and stockier body.  In Spain it is far far more common, and can be found in wetland, or on fields with cattle or horses.  It is replaced in East Asia by the closely related Eastern Cattle Egret.

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Bubulcus
Subspecies: B. i. ibis, B. i. coromandus, B. i. seychellarum

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An increasingly regular Winter visitor and vagrant.

-- A flock of 9 present at Woodford, Northants in April 2022

SPAIN - Spanish -  Garcilla bueyera ("Oxen Egret")

Common to locally abundant resident in appropriate habitat.

 - SEVILLE 2011 TRIP: A number seen near Italica, around 10 seen in the vicinity of El Rocio
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Fairly common, seen in flight at various random locations, numerous near Arrocampo.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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