The Story
This Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis) was at La Huerta Hotel at Lago Calima, in Yotoco, Valle del Cauca, Colombia when I photographed it. Originally an Old World bird, it spread quickly on its own and colonized much of the Americas in the last century. It often follows cattle and other large animals, catching the insects and small vertebrates they disturb. Lago Calima is a reservoir of about 19 square kilometers, built for a hydroelectric project and later taken over by the regional environmental agency, the CVC. IUCN lists the Western Cattle-Egret as Least Concern, with a stable population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800. Nearby, the Bosque de Yotoco forest reserve protects 1,425 hectares that supply water to Yotoco and more than ten rural aqueducts.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis) belongs to the family Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025), with the population trend listed as stable. IUCN does not yet assess the Western Cattle-Egret separately; this is the assessment of Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), which IUCN treats as including it. Source: IUCN Red List