[Watch] Rare Sighting: Red Cattle Egret Spotted In Odisha’s Kendrapada

Bhubaneswar: A rare mutation of a reddish Cattle egret was filmed in the Mahakalapada area of Kendrapada district in Odisha. The reddish/pink bird was spotted foraging normal white-coloured Cattle egrets behind a tractor.

A local journalist, Subas Swain shot the video of the bird along with his friend Smarendra Mahali. Initially, they thought it to be a migratory bird, but later they sent the photos and video to Subhendu Mallik, honorary Wildlife Warden Khurda who identified the bird as a Cattle egret.

Mallik said, “The reddish colour mutation in the bird is known as Erythrism which refers to an unusual reddish pigmentation of an a


nimal’s hair, skin, feathers or eggshells”.

Erythrism can be due to genetic or dietary factors, he said.

It is a condition where some birds appear more reddish than others of their kind. For example, Eastern Screech-Owl and Ruffed Grouse often display erythrism.

Notably, in September last year, a single melanistic Cattle Egret with prominent black colouration was spotted by a member of Wild Orissa in Tangi region of Khurda district.

Some facts about Cattle Egret

•  The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron.
• They are opportunistic feeders and catch insects, following large animals and farm machines.
• These birds can come to fire from far away to catch fleeing insects.
• They are known to wait for aeroplanes at airports to pass by grass and blow the insects out.
• They are diurnal, feeding by day and sleeping at night.
• They wander extensively, so it’s difficult to distinguish whether they migrate or just disperse.
• They share roosting colonies with other colonial waterbirds.
• They are known to be highly sociable, closely associating with grazing species.