Yellow Bittern

Very small heron of marshy, well-vegetated water bodies. Adult pale orangish brown or yellow, depending on the light, with a narrow dark cap. Juvenile darker above with pale feather edges. Can be inconspicuous in dense vegetation, but frequently makes short flights; on flying birds, note dark flight feathers contrasting with pale yellowish wing coverts. Typically quiet, but occasionally gives harsh grating calls when flushed.

In Sri Lanka, the Yellow Bittern primarily inhabits freshwater marshes, reed beds, and wetlands, particularly in areas with dense aquatic vegetation like paddy fields, along riverbanks, and in lagoons, making places like Bundala National Park ideal for spotting them; they are often found nesting within the reeds themselves.

In Sri Lanka, the Yellow Bittern primarily feeds on a diet consisting of small fish, insects, and amphibians, particularly favoring dense wetland vegetation like reeds and paddy fields where it can ambush its prey by lying in wait amongst the plants.