June 03, 1962 - The Cattle Egret
The Cattle Egret
Exclusive Sunday Review Sketch by Dennis PuIeston of Brookhaven
"Perhaps some of you recall
that cattle egrets were observed
rerently in Remsenburg. Dennis
Puleston was one of the observers
and has consented to bring us
up to date on their story. PS."
Several of the more observant
residents of Remsenburg we r e
recently puzzled by the appear-
ance of a flock of white, heron -
like birds in the company of some
horses on the Haggerty property
on South Country Road. Although
these birds were somewhat sim-
ilar to Snowy Egrets, several
points of difference were noted.
They had yellow bills and legs,
where as in the Snowy these are
black. Also, the plumage was not
pure white, but tinged on crown
and back wish bully patches. A
check of the available bird books
gave no help; no such species
was described. What, then, were
these unfamiliar visitors?
Mystery of Our Time
Upon contacting some of the
local ornithologists, the answer
was obtained: the birds we r e
identified at once as Cattle Egrets
(Bubulcus Ibis). The sudden ap-
pearance of this flock of about
50 birds represented just another
chapter in one of the most fas-
cinating ornithological mysteries
of our time. For, only 30 years
ago, the Cattle Egret was un-
known to the New World. It is a
resident of the Mediterranean
region, North Africa, and coastal
Asia, where it is known as the
Buff - backed H e r o n. A notable
wanderer, it has often turned up
in odd places, but not until the
early thirties was it first seen
in America, when a few individ-
uals were observed in the com-
pany of a herd of cattle in British
Guiana.
How it first came there will
forever remain a puzzle, but that
it was introduced by man is most
unlikely. Far m o r e probably,
strong easterly winds carried
these pioneer birds across the
relatively narrow section of the
Atlantic from West Africa, where
the two continents bulge towards
each other with a gap of less
than two thousand miles. In any
event, the Cattle Egret throve
and multiplied in its new emiron-
'ment, and soon it began to spread
into other South American coun-
tries.
Then, early in 1952, an alert
naturalist driving through t h e
South Florida cattle c o u n t r y
noticed a strange bird f e e d i n g
unconcernedly with some cows in
a pasture. Knowing that t h e
Snowy Egret was not usually en-
countered in such terrain, he
stopped for a better look. He could
scarcely believe his eyes when
he realized that he was seeing a
species new to North America,
but a quick call to some fellow -
ornithologists brought many other
qualified observers to c o n f i r m
his dramatic find. Within a few
m o n t h s, reliable observations
reported from many areas of
Florida. Two birds then appeared
at Cape May, New Jersey, where
they were seen by many excited
naturalists. One was reported
from the Chicago region so me
weeks later. Then, in November,
two appeared at different loca-
tions in Massachusetts.
Population Explosion
From that time on, a veritable
population explosion was under
way. In 1953, several pairs were
found nesting with a rookery of
Snowy Egrets in Lake Okeecho-
bee. Colonies soon began to ap-
pear further up the eastern sea-
board, and westward as far as
Texas. In the cattle farming areas
of Florida and other southern
states, it can now be seen in
such large numbers it warrants
no more than a casual glance
from the birder. And yet, so sud-
den has been the establishment
of this bird as a true N o r t h
American species, it is s t i I I
not included in the field g u i d e
books.
In May of 1954, the first record
of a Cattle Egret was obtained
for New York State. Mrs Eva
Lukert, whose husband operates
a hatchery in East Moriches, ob-
sened a peculiar bird walking
around contentedly in an open -
topped pen in the company of a
flock of white turkeys. A keen
naturalist, Mrs Lukert immediate-
ly notified the well -known orni-
thologist Leroy Wilcox of East-
port. The news was swiftly passed
on to others, and many of us
were privileged to participate in
this exciting discovery. In fact,
when word reached the Linnean
Society in New York City, many
members made a special visit to
add this species to their list of
"life" birds. The stranger re-
mained at the hatchery for about
a week, and then vanished. Since
then, however. a few single in-
dividuals have been seen from
time to time in widely scattered
areas of Long Island.
cattle. Sometimes, the bird sits
on the back of an animal and
picks ticks and flies from the
k hide of its host. With this highly
!, specialized mode of feeding, it
does not seem to be competing
with any other bird species. Prob-
ably this is the main reason for
its highly successful population
build -up, for it is filling an ecologi-
cal niche previously unoccupied.
That, in devouring insect pests,
it is useful to agriculture and
should be given every encourage-
ment and protection, cannot be
denied. It is also an attractive
addition to the pastoral scene;
a herd of cows, each one with its
attendant Egret near its lowered
head, is a pleasing sight. The
bird darts here and there, skil-
fully snapping up its prey under
the very nose and hooves of the
animal; one is surprised that it
is able to avoid being stepped
upon. Toward evening, the birds
leave their hosts of the day, and
wing off lightly to communal
roosts for the night.
Now that the Cattle Egret seems
to be establishing a foothold on
Long Island, local birders would
be well - advised to carefully watch
pasture lands for further appear-
ances of this interesting bird.
Such obsen ations can be reported
in this column. And it is quite
likely that, at some time in the
near future, some naturalist will
be able to claim the honor of
having found the first pair of
nesting Cattle Egrets in New
York State. Thus, we welcome
the mysterious and adventurous
stranger. and hope that he will
find thk area to his liking, so
that he can find a permanent
home bore.
FIE111 OBSERVATIONS
I.sareince Ernest Reports:
Stianecock - May 21
B _: , A aged Teal
B.a-x �)k :mmers
Camp's Pond - May 22
'Carnada Warbler
(Black- billed Cuckoo
Flock At Remsenburg
H Halama, W Terry and D
Pnkstoo report:
But never before have we had
ISa) ville - May 20
such an irruption as the flock of
Worm- eating Warbler
over fifty birds seen in Remsen-
Black- billed Cuckoo (2)
burg early this May. Where have Dennis Puleston reports:
they come from? Why are they
Brookhaven - May 14-16
here? And where have they scat -
Wh.:e- crowned Sparrow
tered to now? Will some remain
Brookhaven -May 15
to establish a breeding record for
Virginia Rail
Long Island? These are some of
Brookhaven - May 16
the questions that are currently
Wood Pewee
intriguing us. We can be quite
Brookhaven - May 16-18
hopeful, however, that the bird
Boblinks (25)
will become increasingly common,
Brookhaven - May 17
as long as there are cattle and
Summer Tanager
horses to provide it with the type',
Ruby - throated Hummingbird
of livelihood in which it
,Wilson's Warbler
specializes.
�fashville Warbler
For this Egret is almost in-
'Yellow - billed Cuckoo
variably found in the company
Brookhaven - May 18
of livestock. Unlike its relatives
Cattle Egret
in the Heron family, it does not!
Woodcock with 3 downy chicks
live mainly on fish, frogs, and
Northern Water- thrush
other aquatic life, but on land
Brookhaven - May 21
insects such as grasshoppers and
Blackburnian Warbler (2)
beetles, obtained as they a r e
Black- throated Blue Warbler (4)
stirred up by the feet of grazing
Magnolia Warbler (3)
nay- oreastea waroier
Cape May Warbler
J Bennett, D Puleston, H Hala-
ma, G Raynor, W Terry, P
Stoutenburgh and' A Smith re-
port:
Carman's River - May 19
Black -poll Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Redstart
Red -eyed Vireo
Scarlet Tanager (pr)
Veery
Cardinal
Manorville - May 19
Hummingbird nesting
Grumman's south fence -May 19
Northern Water- thrush
Grasshopper Sparrows
Bobolink
Scarlet Tanager
Greenport - May 20
Carolina Wren (3)
Scarlet Tanager (2)
Orient - May 21
Hummingbird
Evening Grosbeak (3)
Orient - May 22
Orchard Oriole
Dennis Puleston reports:
Brookhaven — April 28-29
Sora Rail
Brookhaven — May 3
Indigo Bunting (5)
Yaphank — May 4
Worm- eating Warbler
Parula Warbler (7)
Upton — May 4
Rose - breasted Grosbeak
Blackburnian Warbler
Blue- winged Warbler
King Rail
Yaphank — May 5
Solitary Sandpioer
Meadowlark
Horned Lark
Vesper Sparrow
Green Heron
Mecox - May 19
(Spotted Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderl i ng
Red - backed Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Black- bellied Plover
Knots
Common Tern
Least Tern
Ring - billed Gull
Piping Plover
North Sea - May 19
Blue - winged Warbler
Bay- breasted Warbler
Wood Pewee
Oven -bird
Woodcock
Magnolia Warbler ��