Centre County Cattle Egrets

I picked up another Centre County life bird today after Chuck reported four Cattle Egrets hanging out with some cattle behind his house. It was fun to watch these small egrets forage close to the car as I tried to get some photos.

Cattle Egrets have had a very interesting history in North America. Starting in the 1950’s the Cattle Egret began such a rapid range expansion that within about 40 years they were common in many areas. Their population reached a peak in the 1970’s and has been slowly declining since then. They have especially declined along the Atlantic Coast north of the Carolinas. I remember seeing them more frequently when I was younger but now they are a hit or miss species for me in any given year.