the species is usually found with cattle and other large grazing and browsing animals, and catches small creatures disturbed by the mammals. studies have shown that cattle egret foraging success is much higher when foraging near a large animal than when feeding singly. when foraging with cattle, it has been shown to be 3.6 times more successful in capturing prey than when foraging alone. its performance is similar when it follows farm machinery, but it is forced to move more.