What does the Cattle Egret eat?

The Cattle Egret's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Carnivore (primarily insectivore)

How it forages

Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide variety of insects, especially grasshoppers, crickets, flies, and beetles. Also consumes spiders, frogs, lizards, small snakes, and occasionally fish. It is famous for its commensal relationship with large grazing mammals, following them to catch insects flushed by their movement. It also forages behind agricultural machinery.

When it feeds

Diurnal, actively foraging during daylight hours.

Explore the Cattle Egret