The body length is from 27 to 30 cm. The color of the plumage of the upper body is gray. Lower body with pale gray stripes. Otherwise, it looks like a little bittern . Beak and legs are yellow.
The species is widespread in Africa. Nests in almost all sub- Saharan African countries: from Mauritania and Ethiopia to South Africa , absent only in deserts and semi-deserts . The natural habitat of the species is rivers and lakes with tree-lined shores, swamps and mangroves .
The food is based on water bugs and locusts . Less commonly, birds feed on small frogs , fish , snails and crustaceans .
Nests on trees and bushes. The nest is constructed from dry grass at a height of 50 cm to 4 m above the surface of the reservoir. In clutch from 3 to 4 eggs, hatching lasts about 15 days.
