Medium-sized heron. Dark morph adult: reddish-brown head and neck covered in shaggy plumes. Pale eye and pale purple-gray lores. Thick, pink bill with dark tip. Gray-blue body and legs. Basic-plumaged dark-morph adult: similar to alternate adult, but shorter breast plumes, black legs and feet. Juvenile dark-morph: black bill and legs, no plumes. Brown lores and body. Black legs and feet. Alternate-plumaged white-morph adult: like dark-morph but all white plumage. Basic-plumaged white-morph adult: similar to breeding, but shorter plumes. White morph juvenile: white plumage, dark bill. No plumes. Intermediate plumage: usually like dark morph, but with scattered white feathers.

Length: 76 (cm) Wingspan: 117 (cm)

Voice:

Low pitched, quiet groaning or grunting notes. Baaaaaahh.

Habitat:

Salt water and brackish marshes. Rare in freshwater wetlands.

Behavior:

Forages by chasing prey around while "dancing" and flapping wings.

Feeding:

Diet consists of fish, amphibians, crustaceans.