5,6 After migrating northward more than 70 years ago, cattle egrets quickly colonized the southern regions of North America, and then expand their ranges further north. Cattle egrets migrated from Africa to South America more than a century ago. The bugs really bug the bovines! So, the insectivorous habits of the bug-munching birds are a welcome relief, providing blessing to the cattle-assuming egrets live nearby.Īctually, the cattle egret is an African emigrant. They have no hands to dislodge the pestering bugs (many of which are noxious parasites) off their backs or to shoo away bugs that initially flit about near their feet and might soon land on the bovine’s legs or back. The egrets just need to watch out for the bovine hooves.
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The benefit to the birds is obvious-convenient meals, either on the bovine skin or in the stirred grasses that bovine feet brush against, causing bugs to show themselves as moving targets.
5 Likewise, cattle egrets are not shy about perching atop cattle to eat whatever insects, ticks, or insect larvae may be trespassing on beleaguered bovine bodies. As the bugs move, reactively, their own motions betray them as moving targets-and often as fast-food-for the cattle egrets who “chaperone” the pasturing cattle. In short, large mammals graze in tall grasses where bothersome insects (like grasshoppers and crickets) and parasitic ticks abound, stirring up the bugs wherever they walk. They ecologically partner with domesticated bovines (cattle) and other large mammal herbivores such as bison, water buffalo, bison, horses, zebras, donkeys, camels, giraffes, antelope, rhinoceroses, etc. To some extent, this type of win-win situation often occurs with cattle egrets over most of the world.
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In fact, as the New Testament indicates, it’s the biblical norm for how to treat one’s neighbors. 3 Actually, providential partnering between grass-munching bovines and cattle egrets is an example of neighborly mutualism.īeing a good neighbor is a good standard to live by. 2 And where you find cattle herds and pastures, you often also find their small white heron-like neighbor Bubulcus ibis, the cattle egret. Yet, in other places where large grassy areas abound-such as ranchlands of America’s Great Plains-wild grasses constitute “all-you-can-eat” pastures for domestic cattle. Since tending to one’s own yardwork is a permissible outdoor activity, many are using their extra time at home to maintain their lawns. 1 However, some get out of the house-yet stay home-by investing time and labor outdoors, doing yardwork and gardening.įor many Americans, it is enough of a challenge at this time of year to trim tree branches, remove weeds (hopefully by the roots), add weed-and-feed to lawn grass, mow the grass, and weed-whack wherever needed.
Nowadays, many folks experience “cabin fever,” but are banned from ordinary travel and social activities.
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