A compact white heron with a short neck and legs, it feeds in grassland and pastures, catching insects and small animals disturbed by livestock or farm machinery.
Breeding adults have golden feathers on the head, breast, and back. The bill and legs become bright red briefly at peak breeding. Juveniles are all white with a black bill and legs.
It feeds mainly on insects disturbed by livestock, and also forages where tractors or mowing machinery expose prey. It commonly feeds in pastures and fields as well as wetlands.
In North America it nests colonially in trees or shrubs. The female does most construction using material brought by the male; clutches contain two to four eggs, with incubation lasting 22–28 days.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.