Apparently quite scarce in this area, this is the only one we saw. This is the smaller nominate race, sometimes split as "Western Cattle Egret." It is found throughout much of the Americas, Europe and Africa. It is believed to have reached South America naturally from Africa and spread through the Americas taking advantage of clearing for cattle ranching. The first New World records came from Suriname during the 1870s, then spreading aggressively through northern South America, then Central America, the Caribbean, and North America. It invaded North America starting in the 1950's and is now common across the southern tier of the United States where it associates with grazing livestock, usually cattle. They feed primarily on insects kicked up by livestock. Its range expansion is said to be among the fastest and most extensive recorded for any avian species.
