Cow bird helpful in pest control

The Cattle Egret/Veerier (Bubulcus ibis) is one of 22 Heron species that occur in Southern Africa. This is one of the smaller species which is all white when not breeding.
The bird has attracted many common names because of its association with large grazing animals. It is also popular as a biocontrol of parasites like flies and ticks on animals.
The bird’s Latin name Bubulcus, in a general sense, means herdsman. This egret has the habit of following grazing animals searching for insects that are disturbed by their hooves. They are often also seen perching on the backs of animals to find insects that plague them, hence the name “tick bird”. In different regions these birds are also called names like cow cranes, cow herons, cow birds, elephant birds, rhinoceros egrets and hippopotamus egrets.
Compared to other herons, Cattle Egrets are noticeably small and compact. Adult birds are all white with yellow bills and legs. In the breeding season their plumage colour changes and they have golden plumes on their heads, chests and backs. Their legs and bills also change colour to almost red. Juveniles have dark legs and bills.
Cattle Egrets occur over most of South Africa except in the dry western areas. They are widespread and abundant common residents. They are, in fact, the most abundant heron species worldwide. Although they disperse widely through South Africa, they are not true migrants. They may move south to breed during the summer rains and move north again during the southern winter.
They are egrets that spend most of their time in fields rather than water. They forage in flocks in areas such as grasslands, pastures, croplands, wetlands and shallow water. Generally they prefer drier habitats than other species of white herons. This species maintain a special relationship with large grazing animals. Wider human farming is believed to be a major cause of their expanded distribution.
As one moves through the Vredefort Dome area this time of the year you see these white birds in the company of cattle, hunting the insects disturbed by their hooves.
Cattle Egrets are gregarious and highly social. They can be seen in large feeding flocks during the day, mainly in the morning and again in the afternoon. They have a broad, flexible diet. Their preferred food is grasshoppers, but they eat many other invertebrates. They stalk insects and other small animals on the ground in grassy fields, most of the time far from water. They also eat frogs, toads, lizards and small rodents. You may see them eat ticks and flies too, from the animals they accompany, which benefit both species.
Comes night time, they roost in large flocks, usually the same tree or reed bed for the whole time they stay in one area. They travel from foraging grounds to the roost site in the late afternoon, flying in V-formation. They form a pre-roost gathering at a location nearby to the roost to loaf, preen and drink. Then, in the last few minutes before dark, they fly to the roost.
Cattle Egrets nest in colonies, usually near water and often share the colony with other wading birds. Breeding pairs are monogamous for the breeding season. The nest is a shallow platform of plant material in a tree or a reedbed. Both members of the pair build the nest and incubate the eggs. One brood per season is raised. The clutch is 2 – 4 eggs and incubation is 22 – 23 days. The chicks are fed by both parents. They fledge after about 30 days and after 45 days they are fully independent.