They are widespread and common but can be easily missed when they stalk prey at the edge of small water-bodies or even when they roost close to human habitations.

They are distinctive when they take off, with bright white wings flashing in contrast to the cryptic streaked olive and brown colours of the body.

Their camouflage is so excellent that they can be approached closely before they take to flight, a behaviour which has resulted in folk names and beliefs that the birds are short-sighted or blind.

[10] They are very common in India, and are usually solitary foragers but numbers of them may sometimes feed in close proximity during the dry seasons[11] when small wetlands have a high concentration of prey.

[20] The primary food of these birds includes crustaceans, aquatic insects, fishes, tadpoles and sometimes leeches (Herpobdelloides sp.).

[21] Outside wetlands, these herons feed on insects (including crickets, dragonflies[22] and bees[23]), fish (Barilius noted as important in a study in Chandigarh) and amphibians.

[30][31][32][33][34] Antibodies to Japanese encephalitis and West Nile virus has been detected in pond herons and cattle egrets from southern India.

[36] The habit of standing still and flushing only at the last moment has led to widespread folk beliefs that they are semi-blind and their name in many languages includes such suggestions.

In Sri Lanka the bird is called kana koka which translates as "half-blind heron" in the Sinhala language.

[2] The Hindustani phrase "bagla bhagat" has been used to describe a "wolf in sheep's clothing" or a hypocrite appearing like a meditating saint[37] and occurs in a Marathi proverb.