Cattle Egrets arrived from Africa and began to colonize the New World in the 1950s. Since then, they have spread throughout most of the eastern US and have recently been found in southeastern Canada. Cattle Egrets get their name from their habit of associating with and following cattle and other livestock to feed on the insects flushed by the grazing animals. This one was photographed in the reeds of a wildlife refuge as a late summer thunderstorm began to move across the refuge.