The Cattle Egret has got its name because it is often seen in the company of cows. It will also follow other big herbivores, such as buffalos, rhinoceros and elephants, as they stamp up insects and other small animals which the Cattle Egret can then eat.
During the winter, the Cattle Egret is all white with a yellow beak and greyish-yellow legs. During mating season, it turns yellowish-brown on the top of its head, chest and back. Its legs and beak also change colour and turn red.
The male and female build their nest together just as they take turns hatching the eggs. Two weeks after the hatching of the chicks, they start crawling around outside the nest and within a month they can fly.