Rare bird breeding at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve in Sussex

Cattle egrets, described by the Sussex Wildlife Trust as a "rare breeding bird in the UK," have started nesting and raising their young at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

The wildlife trust said: "Cattle egrets are a scarce resident in Sussex, having bred for the first time in the county in 2020.

"Last year, we were thrilled that we had two pairs of nesting birds confirmed at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

"This year, we’re chuffed to bits that three pairs have fledged five young."

The cattle egret, seen here at Rye Harbour, is a new addition to the UK's aviary scene (Image: Bob Eade) The cattle egret is a small heron with a stocky frame, known for its "crisp white plumage" and "bright yellow beak and legs."

The bird is known for following cattle, feeding on insects and invertebrates stirred up by the larger animals.

This behaviour has earned them their name.

The Sussex Wildlife Trust said: "Studies of the diet of cattle egret in other parts of the world have revealed that crickets and grasshoppers are one of their favourite foods, though they will feed on a wide variety of prey, from ticks to frogs."

Cattle egrets are sociable creatures and prefer to nest in colonies, often mixed with other herons.

They have shown one of the greatest range expansions in the world of birds.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the western form of cattle egret was only established in southern Spain, Portugal, and North and tropical Africa.

'Rare' bird species beginning to breed at Sussex nature reserve (Image: Roger Wilmshurst) Over the next few decades, they spread south to South Africa and began to spread north across Europe.

They even managed to cross the Atlantic to reach South America and have dispersed throughout that continent and up into North America, with breeding recorded as far north as Canada.

Only a few decades ago, cattle egrets were still rare visitors to the UK, until a large influx over the winter of 2007/2008 saw over 200 birds recorded here, mostly in south-west England.

This led to the UK's first record of breeding cattle egrets, with at least two pairs nesting in Somerset in the summer of 2008.

Since then, they have become an increasingly common sight in the UK and, although still a rare breeding bird here, have nested in several other counties and look likely to become more established.

The birds, again seen here at Rye Harbour, are similar in appearance to herons (Image: Roger Wilmshurst) Cattle egrets are only slightly smaller than a little egret, but with a shorter neck, shorter legs, and a much more compact body giving them a stockier impression.

They also have a shorter, stubbier bill, which is dark in juveniles but quickly turns yellow.

Young birds and adults in winter are all white but in the breeding season the adults show bright orange-yellow feathers on the crown, lower back, and chest.

These brighter feathers can be visible from spring well into autumn.

The yellow bill also turns a brighter red-orange during the breeding season, and the dark or greyish-yellow legs take on brighter yellow and then pinkish tones.