Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus, 1758).

Length 51 cm. This is a short-legged, thick-necked egret. The plumage of the breeding adult is white with distinctive buff on the head, breast, and back; bill and legs are dull orange. The Cattle Egret is the most terrestrial heron and is known as the ‘farmers’ friend’ due to its habit of following farm animals such as cattle or camels and eating the agricultural pests that they kick up, including insects, grasshoppers, spiders, moths, and frogs. It is diurnal and gregarious; tending to roost in large colonies. It flocks to and from feeding, breeding, and roosting sites. Clutch size is usually 3-4 light blue eggs and the incubation takes 22-25 days. In Egypt, this bird is an abundant breeding resident and is distributed through the Nile Valley and the eastern Delta.