Striated Heron is found in both freshwater and saltwater marshes from eastern Panama south to northern Argentina. Only a single subspecies is found in the New World; an additional 24 subspecies occur in Africa, Asia, and Australia. This small heron has a black forehead and crown, greenish-black back, gray underparts with a centrally placed large white stripe, and bright yellow-orange legs. Striated Heron often is encountered foraging alone in the dense vegetation along bodies of water. Striated Heron employs a great variety of foraging techniques to catch prey items such as fish, amphibians, insects and crustaceans.