Cattle Egret,
Ardea ibis, are 46-54 cm long, with a snowy all white body. They have a shorter neck than other Egrets, and it further retracts when they are standing at rest. Non-breeding birds have a yellow bill & iris, while the legs are greyish-yellow. In late Autumn Cattle Egrets fly north, where they breed in the Spring and acquire orange plumage on their head, chest & back. The legs and bill also become redder, but the bill retains a yellow tip. Some birds still have the
breeding plumage when they return to Victoria in the Summer. The Sexes are similar and juveniles resemble non-breeding adults. (Their slightly larger cousin, the Little Egret 56-65cm long, has a black bill.)