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Birds of Zihuatanejo

CLASS AVES

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Birds (Class Aves)

-Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies (Order Pelecaniformes)

-Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns (Family Ardeidae)

-Typical Herons and Egrets (Subfamily Ardeinae)

-Great Herons and Egrets (Genus Ardea)

-Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis)


The Western Cattle Egret is a heron species, and its scientific name is Ardea ibis, belonging to the Ardeidae family, which includes all the herons, egrets, and bitterns. This places it within the same genus as other herons, but the Cattle Egret is a smaller, more specialized species often associated with livestock.

Western Cattle-Egret

Ardea ibis

Diet

  • Primarily insects, including grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, flies, caterpillars, and dragonflies.

  • Also feeds on spiders, frogs, lizards, small snakes, rodents, fish, and crustaceans.

  • Often forages alongside cattle and other large mammals, capturing prey disturbed by their movement.

Range

  • Native to Africa, southern Europe, and Asia, but now found throughout much of the world.

  • Widespread across Mexico, including the Zihuatanejo region, where it is a common year-round resident.

  • Inhabits grasslands, pastures, agricultural fields, wetlands, marshes, mangroves, riverbanks, and coastal areas.

  • Frequently nests in mixed heron colonies near water but commonly feeds far from wetlands.

Male / Female

  • Male: Slightly larger than the female. During the breeding season, develops buff-orange plumes on the head, neck, and back, with brighter facial skin.

  • Female: Very similar in appearance but generally smaller and with slightly less extensive breeding plumes.

  • Sexes cannot be reliably distinguished in the field except by subtle size differences or breeding behaviour.

Size

  • Length: 46–56 cm (18–22 in)

  • Wingspan: 88–96 cm (35–38 in)

  • Weight: 270–512 g (9.5–18.1 oz)

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