Cattle Egret

Characteristics

A small heron with a distinctive brown head, chest and back. The Japanese name ``Amasagi'' comes from the fact that the color of the summer plumage looks amber. In winter, the brown part becomes almost white. The rest of the body is white and the legs are black. Males and females have the same color.

When the whole body is white, it looks like a little egret or a rabbit, but the neck is slightly shorter and the balance with the body is different.

Calls

It calls with a muddy "gwa" sound similar to that of other herons.

Ecology

They fly to rice paddies and fields in groups and eat insects, fish, amphibians and other animal species. They gather near cultivators and cattle, and aim for the food that jumps out when they are surprised by them. Sometimes it jumps on the back of a cow. In summer, they form colonies and breed.

Habitat

I took a picture of him aiming for food next to a cow on a farm. I got close to the cow's face, but the cow didn't seem to care at all. It's interesting to see the difference in body size.

Cattle egrets around a harvesting machine waited in line for the crop to be cut, then swarmed as the machine passed.