Cancroma coromanda Boddaert, Tabl. Pl. Eul. (1783), 54.
Bubulcus coromandus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26,
217; Hand-List (1899), 1, 202; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902),
2, 130, pl. 5, fig. 2; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898),
4, 389, fig. 92 (head); McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906),
35; McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 322.
Ta-gac' cal-a-bau, Manila; la-guac', Calayan; tá-bon, Bohol.
Balabac (Steere Exp., Everett); Basilan (McGregor); Batan
(McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Calayan
(McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Steere Exp., Bourns &
Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.);
Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Jagor, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor);
Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Goodfellow);
Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester);
Palawan (Steere, Everett, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns
& Worcester, White); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester);
Siquijor (Celestino); Sulu (Platen); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester);
Ticao (McGregor). Eastern Siberia, Korea, China, Indian Peninsula,
Ceylon; Indo-Chinese countries to Celebes and Moluccas.
Adult in breeding plumage.--White; head, neck, and fore breast golden
buff; long decomposed dorsal plumes delicate vinaceous-pink, washed
with brown; ends of the plumes on fore breast also vinaceous-pink. Iris
light lemon-yellow; bill and bare skin around eye chrome-yellow; legs
and nails black. A male from Mariveles, Luzon, measures: Length, 540;
wing, 265; tail, 98; exposed culmen, 63; tarsus, 95; middle toe with
claw, 89.
Young.--Pure white, without any ornamental plumes but with an orange
tinge on the crown.
Winter plumage.--Pure white, without any ornamental plumes.
This bird is often seen in large flocks and individuals alight
fearlessly on the backs of cattle; they often feed in plowed
fields. Several hundreds of cattle egrets nested in a patch of giant
grass near Guindulman, Bohol. Eggs obtained in June vary in length from
40 to 50 mm. and in width from 30 to 35. They are pale blue in color.