Eastern Cattle Egret
Photo: Hari K Patibanda · CC BY 2.0

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Eastern Cattle Egret

Ardea coromanda

NENot Evaluated
Family
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns (Ardeidae)
Order
Pelecaniformes

Overview

The eastern cattle egret (Ardea coromanda) is a species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. Formerly, most taxonomic authorities lumped this species and the western cattle egret together (called the cattle egret), but the two cattle egrets are now treated as separate species. Despite the similarities in plumage to the egrets of the genus Egretta, it is more closely related to the herons of Ardea. It is native to southern and eastern Asia, and Australasia.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Southern Asia from Pakistan eastward in sub-Himalayan region to southeastern Russia and Japan, southward throughout tropical Asia; now also Australia (including Tasmania but not arid eastern interior and western deserts; self-introduced by 1948) and New Zealand (North and South islands; self-introduced by 1963).

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.