NATURE'S SIGNS:  CATTLE EGRETS

Why a bird never seen here, suddenly appears

Although cattle egrets are common to Texas, they had never been spotted in East End Park until the end of June, when they suddenly appeared in great numbers.

To understand why, you need to know how cattle egrets got their name. Cattle egrets forage for grubs and worms in the areas disturbed by grazing cattle. The ground may be disturbed by the cattle's hooves or as they munch on clumps of grass.

When the East End Park meadows were mowed during the last week in June, the ground was disturbed in a similar fashion by the mowers. High spots were scalped, exposing soft earth below. This made it easy for the egrets to forage in an area where they normally would not be found.

It didn't take long for the birds to communicate the news. Within a day, dozens of cattle egrets could be seen in every part of both meadows.

This is a good example of how changes to habitat affect species...for better or worse.

Learn more about: CATTLE EGRETS