A cattle egret at the Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, Florida. Originally from the sub-Saharan Africa and parts of southern Spain and Portugal, around the late 1800s, cattle egrets began naturally expanding their range into South America — likely blown across the Atlantic by storms or carried by prevailing winds. Once in South America, they adapted extremely well to pastures and farmland. From there, they spread northward into North America, reaching the United States by the 1940's. Cattle egrets are now found on every continent except Antarctica, having also colonized Asia, Australia, and many islands.

Tags: Egret Wading bird Wildlife and nature Cattle egret

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