Striated Heron

Striated Heron (Butorides striata) is a small, compact heron with a dark cap, grey-green upperparts and a short neck usually held tucked against the body. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It occupies mangroves and vegetated wetland margins, hunting fish, insects and crustaceans from a low perch or by slow stalking, and sometimes uses bait to attract fish. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).