The Purple Heron is a large, up to ninety centimeters tall wading bird, which is overall grey in colour, with a darker grey back and brownish-maroon patches on the shoulders and the sides of the neck.

The throat is whitish with a chestnut wash and vertical black stripes. It has a black crown and nape, and a narrow yellow bill, which is dark above. Its habitat consists of reed beds or trees close to large lakes or other extensive wetlands.