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Bubulcus ibis
Cattle Egrets can often be found with herds of sheep and sometimes ride on their backs. There is also a large animal in this picture, possibly a bullock?
Semi-desert steppe country.
Spotted on Oct 23, 2013
Submitted on Nov 28, 2013
2 Comments
Much of Spain is devoid of suitable grazing habitat for cattle, being too hot and dry in the long summers. The sheep are more adaptable and easier to manage and in this location they are taken up into the mountains (Pyrenees) in summer. Where I live near the east coast they graze around the marshes. There are some cattle scattered along the coastal plains but in many places the mountains come down to the coast. The Cattle Egrets here have adapted and can often be found with sheep. Search my Cattle Egret pictures in Spain and you will find quite a few with sheep.
This is fabulous! I've never seen the cattle egret with sheep - and I love sheep!