10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

When you think of invasives, you think of the birds that have been helped by human beings to get where they are, such as House Sparrow or European Starling. I’d like to introduce you to a diminutive heron, the Cattle Egret Bubuclus ibis. Cattle Egret has been introduced by humans to Hawaii and the Seychelles.

Cattle 193

Cattle South Korea Suriname Seychelles 193

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2021

Being a bit older myself now, I have to point out that young human males usually do not look that good, at least to me. Cattle Egrets have perfected that smudgy look. The Blue-and-white Flycatcher is one of the few birds in which the young male looks both distinctive and rather nice. A juvenile male. The real thing: an adult male.

LACS 264

LACS Birds France Japan 264

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2022

Oh, and maybe humans need to be a bit less destructive to your habitat, too. Apparently, the choice is for the nests to be flooded (those near streams) or to be trampled by cattle (those near the agricultural ponds). While grazing cattle and buffalo may look idyllic to us, the Oriental Pratincole has a very different view.

Cattle 147

Cattle Portugal Buffalo Alaska 147

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2023

Heron/Egret medley (yes, I know medleys suck, but without the aural component, they might just be ok): Black-crowned Night-heron … … Cattle Egret … … Chinese Pond Heron. Surprisingly (at least from a biased human perspective), 97% of the deserters are female ( source ). Maybe the males were not that impressive.

Birds 130

Birds China Taiwan Raised 130