This egret occurs in a range of South African wetlands. It catches fish, amphibians, and aquatic invertebrates by standing still or walking slowly through shallow water.
Breeding adults are entirely white, with a moderate crest and long scapular plumes that extend beyond the tail. The bill is red with an orange tip; the eyes are red with a green eye ring. Nonbreeding adults have a yellow to yellow-orange bill and yellow eyes; juveniles resemble nonbreeding adults. The sexes have alike plumage.
It feeds mainly on fish, amphibians, and aquatic invertebrates, catching them by standing still or walking slowly in shallow water.
In South Africa, it usually breeds during the rainy season in mixed-species colonies. It builds platform nests in trees or reeds near water.
In breeding adults, the legs above the tarsal joint are crimson, while the lower legs and feet are black. Outside the breeding season, the upper legs are yellow or greenish yellow and occasionally blackish.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.