The Striated Heron is a small heron with a short tuft of dark head feathers and is rarely seen in U.S. territory. The similar Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is widespread in the United States and usually has a rich chestnut neck, while the Striated Heron's neck is grayer.

Appearance

Appearance
A compact heron with dark feathers on top of its head, a short tuft of head feathers, and a pointed bill. Its neck is usually grayer than the rich chestnut neck of a Green Heron.

Look-alikes

Green HeronButorides virescens

A Green Heron usually has a rich chestnut neck and breast; a Striated Heron is grayer there. Their ranges are more useful than a distant photograph: Green Heron is widespread in the U.S.

Why they get mixed upBoth are small, dark, short-necked herons.

Where it lives

Range
In the traditional, broad sense of Striated Heron, these birds live in warm parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America. In U.S. territory, rare birds have been reported from Puerto Rico.

Name and classification

About the name
The Asian and African Little Heron (Butorides atricapilla) and the Galápagos Lava Heron (Butorides sundevalli) were formerly grouped with the South American Striated Heron (Butorides striata) as one species.

Conservation

IUCN Red List
LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
14 sources
  1. iNaturalist taxon API
  2. 국립생물자원관 독도의 생물다양성
  3. 日本野鳥の会 ササゴイ
  4. 2025 eBird Taxonomy Update
  5. 環境省第5次レッドリスト 鳥類
  6. Cornell Green Heron Identification
  7. 日本野鳥の会 ゴイサギ
  8. 日本野鳥の会 アオサギ
  9. IUCN Green-backed Heron assessment
  10. American Birding Association West Indies and Bermuda records
  11. 국립생물자원관 4대강의 물새
  12. 국립생물자원관 한국의 백로 번식지
  13. iNaturalist Butorides striata taxon split
  14. Clements October 2025 split of Butorides
Striated Heron (Butorides striata) — identification, habitat & look-alikes | Moeyo