The Cattle Egret is now a fairly cosmopolitan bird that originated in Africa and southern Spain but has, in the last 100 years or so invaded the Americas, Asia and Australia. It probably arrived in Northern Territory in the 1940s and are now found throughout most of Australia except the arid centre. They may even have been introduced by stock farmers to help control some of the insects that they feed on.

They get their English name from the fact that they are often seen near cattle as well as other animals on which they rely to disturb their prey. They are usually in small groups though photos 3 and 4 were of an apparently solitary bird.