The Rufescent Tiger-Heron has a long rufous neck and a streaked throat, and waits for prey by the water. Adult and juvenile plumages differ greatly.
Adults have a chestnut to rufous head and long neck, with pale stripes along the throat. The back and wings are dark with fine markings; plumage details vary among individuals and regions.
It waits motionless for long periods beside streams or floating plants. Its diet is poorly known, but records include fish and aquatic insects.
It nests solitarily high in trees in woods near wetlands, building a large platform of sticks. Clutches contain two eggs.
Juveniles are bright cinnamon-buff with broad brown and black bars and spots. Chestnut colour increases on the head and neck as their plumage changes gradually with age.
The irises are usually yellow, sometimes pale brown. During courtship the bare parts brighten and the irises become bright red.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.