Western Cattle-Egret
Western Cattle-Egret has held roughly steady: up 2% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Western Cattle-Egret
The Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis) is a North American member of the Herons, Egrets & Bitterns (Ardeidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the wetland birds.
- Size
- 12–51 in long (30–130 cm) — a long-legged wader (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Marshes, ponds, lakeshores and other freshwater wetlands.
- Diet
- Aquatic invertebrates, small fish, frogs and plant matter.
- Range
- Recorded on 992 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 39 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
- Family
- Ardeidae · Wetland birds
Notable Western Cattle-Egret TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for Western Cattle-Egret. See the full index history below.
Western Cattle-Egret Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Western Cattle-Egret is projected to rise about 41% by 2029 — from 2.8 in 2024 to a central estimate of 3.9 (95% range 1.1–6.7). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±71%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Western Cattle-Egret Is Detected
BBS routes recording Western Cattle-Egret, sized by most recent count.
Western Cattle-Egret Population Trend by State
Western Cattle-Egret Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Western Cattle-Egret Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 2% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.