Food and Feeding Habits of Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) in Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) and they are found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. The cattle egret and grazing cattle in close association is a classic example of commensalism. Their feeding habitats include seasonally flooded grasslands, pastures, farmlands, wetlands and rice. They often accompany cattle or other large mammals, catching insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. This study is a first attempt in the Cauvery delta region where the abundance and distribution of cattle egrets which are common. The study was conducted in the villages such as Thugili and Kanjanur which are situated in Thiruvidaimaruthur Taluk of Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu. The methods used for this study was direct observation involves following the birds early in the morning between 7. 00 am and 10.00 am and 4.00 pm - 6.00 pm in the evening. The observation was made on birds for feeding directly on the field. Samples of the food material eaten by the birds were collected for further observation. It fed mainly on arthropods species such as grasshoppers, cricket, catterpillers, flies, termites, ants, rarely on ticks and spiders and very rarely on plants which makes the bird to be an omnivorous. The diet of cattle egret reveals that order Orthopteran insects were the highest percentage (33.33%). This study recommends that all efforts should be taken to reduce further decline in the population of this birds so as to improve its conservation status in the environment.