Striated Heron

The Striated Heron is a small, squat water bird with short legs, a black crown and a small, drooping crest. There are two colour morphs (forms). The grey morph has a grey face, throat and neck streaked centrally with black, dark brown and white. The dark grey upperparts have a metallic green sheen and pink-brown to grey underparts. The wings are also green grey, with each feather outlined yellow. The eye is yellow outlined with dark grey, the bill is black and the legs and feet are orange in breeding season (otherwise, dull yellow). The rufous (reddish) morph is similar, but has rich rufous or cinnamon brown underparts and the upper wing feathers are outlined rufous to cinnamon brown. Young birds are darker and heavily streaked and mottled. This species has a characteristic hunched posture, pulling its head closely into its body, and flicks its tail downwards as it stalks prey on mudflats. It is also known as the Mangrove Heron or Mangrove Bittern.