A brown-and-buff heron that can blend into marsh vegetation by stretching its neck and pointing its bill upward.
The heron has conspicuous brown and buff streaks. When it stretches its neck and points its bill skyward, its upright pose helps it blend into tall vegetation.
It waits motionless or walks slowly in a marsh, then quickly catches fish, frogs, insects, and other prey. It also forages in dim light, including around dawn and dusk.
The female gathers dry reeds, cattails, and other plants, building a platform slightly above water and lining it with fine grass. She incubates, broods, and feeds the chicks.
Clutches contain two to seven unmarked beige-brown to olive eggs. Incubation lasts 24–28 days.
Adults have a long black patch below the eye and down the side of the neck, with a white throat. In flight, dark flight feathers contrast with paler brown coverts.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.