The yellow bittern was formally described in 1789 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Systema Naturae.

[2] Gmelin based his description on the "Chinese heron" that had been included by the English ornithologist John Latham in his multi-volume work A General Synopsis of Birds.

[5] The yellow bittern is a small species at 36 to 38 cm (14 to 15 in) in length, with a short neck and longish bill.

[10][11] The male of the species has a dark cap, chestnut head and neck, with a uniformly dull yellow body above and buff below.

[10] The juveniles of the species resemble the female but is more boldly streaked, brown on its head and back, and mottled with buff above.