The center and neck of heron males are white, and the sides of the head and pillow are black. The crest consists of four slender feathers, which are divided into two lines on the top of the head and on both sides of the pillow. It looks like a braid and its color is black. There are 2-3 rows of longitudinal black spots in the middle of the front neck. The upper body is covered with light gray feathers from the back to the tail, and the tail feathers are dark gray. There are long, pointed and drooping light gray feathers on both shoulders, and the ends of the feathers are scattered and white or nearly white. Primary flight feathers, primary flight feathers, outer secondary flight feathers are dark gray, inner secondary flight feathers are gray, and large flight feathers are light gray outside and gray inside; The middle and small feather are light gray, the third flight feather is dark gray, and there are also long, pointed and drooping feathers. The chin and throat are white, and the base of the neck has long gray-white feathers that hang freely on the chest. White chest and abdomen; There is a large purple-black spot on both sides of the chest, which extends backward along both sides of the chest and abdomen and meets around the anus. Slightly light gray on both sides. The feathers under the armpits and wings are gray, and the legs are white.

The iris is yellow, the exposed part of the eyes is yellow-green, the mouth is yellow, the tarsal bones and toes are yellowish brown or dark brown, and the claws are black.

Young birds are like adults, but their heads and necks are gray and their backs are slightly brown.

Size measurement: weight ♂942- 1825g, ♀1030-1750g; Body length ♂750- 1052mm, ♀ 750-1000 mm; Mouth peak ♂ 106- 127mm, ♀1130mm; Wings ♂375-460mm, ♀ 415-460mm; Tail ♂ 154- 185mm, ♀140-175 mm; ♂ 137- 160mm，♀ 135- 160mm。 (Note: ♂ male; ♀ Female)