說明/ 普遍留鳥與夏候鳥，全長約30–40 公分，頸部較一般鷺科鳥類粗短。羽毛呈黃褐色，雄鳥頭頸部呈棕褐色，頭頂黑色。雌鳥的頭、頸和胸部有棕色條紋。常棲息於沼澤或池塘周遭的蘆葦叢。食物以水生昆蟲、魚、蛙、甲殼類及無脊椎動物為主。以佇立或緩步接近獵物的方式覓食。飛行快速，離地不高，常常從蘆葦間飛出，於眼前一閃而過，落於另一片蘆葦間，偶而躲在草叢中發出「嗚– 嗚–」沈悶的鳴叫聲。遇威脅接近時常常伸直頸部，嘴喙朝天，做出與蘆葦外觀類似的「擬態」動作，以避免被發現。（陸維元攝）
A common resident bird and summer migrant, 30-40 cm in length, with a thicker and shorter neck than most egrets. It has yellowish-brown plumage. The male has a chestnut head and neck, and a black crown. The female’s crown, neck and breast are streaked brown. It inhabits the reeds around marshes, paddy fields and ponds. It feeds mainly on aquatic insects, as well as fish, frogs, crustaceans, and invertebrates. It hunts by standing motionless or approaches its prey slowly. It flies rapidly, often flying close to the ground. It is often seen darting out from between the reeds. Occasionally, it hides in grasslands and makes a series of low-pitched “oo-oo” calls. When threatened, it often stretches its neck with the bill pointing upright to mimic a reed in order to avoid being discovered. (Photo courtesy of Lu Wei-yuan)