The Stripe-backed Bittern is a heron relative whose streaked back helps it blend into wetland vegetation. It moves alone and slowly through dense reeds in lowland freshwater wetlands, feeding on small invertebrates.
Its back has lengthwise streaks that help it blend into marsh vegetation.
It moves alone and slowly through dense reeds and waterside plants, feeding on invertebrates.
It feeds alone or in pairs at night, eating small fish, crustaceans, dragonflies and their larvae, and aquatic beetles. When alarmed, it freezes with its neck extended and underside facing the intruder.
It nests alone in dense marsh vegetation, attaching small platforms or inverted cones of plant stems to emergent plants above water. Most of the few clutches found have contained three eggs.
A narrow black stripe runs along the centre of the crown. The sandy-buff back and upperwings have heavy black streaks, while the white throat and underparts have buff streaks. The sexes have similar plumage.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.