Notornis, 29 (4), 241-268
Article Type: Paper
The cattle egret in New Zealand, 1978-1980
Late-August censuses gave minimum New Zealand totals of 266 Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) in 1978, 624 in 1979, and 771 in 1980. This rising trend ceased in 1981 and 1982. The three years’ records are given for each region, and the late-August distribution is mapped. Arrival of birds was conspicuous in late April and early May and probably continued into June. A bird banded as a nestling in northern New South Wales was recovered, and a second banded bird was seen. Arrival was widespread,
mainly in the west, and by June most birds had moved to traditional farms. The main departure period seemed to be midOctober to mid-November, but many birds remained to December. A few over summered each year and passed through breeding
plumage. In New Zealand, the birds are very shy of humans, even though they associate with various gregarious farm animals, mainly cattle and sheep. In the New Zealand winter, the main observed food of the egrets is earthworms. Differences of plumage from the nominate race and the development of breeding plumage are
discussed.