This tiger-heron waits quietly beside fast forest streams, with pale bars across its neck and body
The crown is black, and the neck and back are slate-black to black-brown with fine pale buff bars. The belly is tawny or rufous, and the sexes look alike
Alone, it walks slowly along fast streams or stands still on rocks and gravel bars, waiting for fish or insects.
The bill is short, heavy, and slightly downcurved. Adults have uniformly grey flanks, brown streaking on the throat and breast, and yellow eyes.
Juveniles initially have broad black and buff bands. With age the bands become narrower, with darker black and lighter buff.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.