Cattle Egret, 4/17/2012

Cattle Egret is back. Strangely, Cattle Egrets are local birds commonly found in Taiwan, but why don't I see them in Taipei during Winter? To quest for answer, I searched the internet and found that the Cattle Egrets in northern Taiwan would migrate south to southern Taiwan or Southeast Asia for wintering. And they will come back to their breeding place in northern Taiwan next Spring. No wonder all the pictures taken in northern Taiwan show yellowish plumage which can only be seen during breeding seasons.


Photographed on 4/17/2012, at Guizikeng Big Gutter area, Taipei City.



Photographed on 4/17/2012, at Guizikeng Big Gutter area, Taipei City.



Photographed on 4/17/2012, at Guizikeng Big Gutter area, Taipei City.



Photographed on 4/17/2012, at Guizikeng Big Gutter area, Taipei City.



Photographed on 4/15/2012, at CKS Memorial Hall, Taipei City



Photographed on 4/7/2012, at CKS Memorial Hall, Taipei City



Photographed on 7/20/2011, at CKS Memorial Hall, Taipei City



Photographed on 3/30/2011, at CKS Memorial Hall, Taipei City



Guizikeng Big Gutter area, Taipei City



Wugu Wetland, New Taipei City

Chinese name:	黃頭鷺
English name:	Cattle Egret
Nickname:
Scientific name:	Bubulcus ibis
Order:	Ciconiiformes
Family:	Ardeidae
Species status:	Species
Conservation status:	Least Concern
Migration status:	Taiwan local bird
Frequency of appearance:	Common in Taiwan
Foods:	Fishes, insects
Habitat:	Wetlands, grasslands, farm fields, swamps
Altitude:	Low altitude
Behavior:	Appear alone
Characteristics:	General Characteristics: Bill is orange. Feet are black. Plumage during breeding season(Summer): Additional orange feathers will appear on head, breasy and back. The rest of the body is white. Plumage during non-breeding season(Winter): The whole bird is white, except bill and feet. There are no additional orange feathers. Head is slightly yellow.
Breeding places:	Asia, Australia, Africa and America.
Migration destinations:	It's said the Cattle Egrets of northern Taiwan will migrate to south Taiwan or Southeast Asia for wintering, and come back to northern Taiwan for breeding in Spring next year.
Time photographed:	2011/3/30, 2011/7/20, 2012/4/7, 2012/4/15
Location found:	CKS Memorial Hall, Taipei City
Sources:	Internet
Notes: