The Cinnamon Bittern (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus), also called as Pucung Bendang in Malay (Jamaludin et al., 2007) is a member of Ardeidae (Herons) family commonly found in wet fields, marshy terrain and developed areas. It is widely distributed from the Indian subcontinent and China through South-East Asia to the Greater Sundas, Sulawesi and the Philippines where the northern populations will migrate to southern area within short range distance. It usually seen either solitarily or in pairs in the dense waterside vegetation (Strange & Jeyarajasingam, 1993; Jeyarajasingam & Pearson, 2012).

With measurements around 38 cm long, this bittern species possesses dark rufous upperparts with slightly paler underparts. It can be differentiated from the Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis) by uniformly brown wings.  The male can easily be recognized by the dark bright cinnamon rufous above and paler rufous underparts with clearly visible thin white streak on side of neck. The female species has a similar appearance as the male but with duller tinge and dark brown streaked on the underparts. As for the juvenile, it can be identified with bold streaky breast and mottled dark brown on the upperparts (Strange & Jeyarajasingam, 1993; Jeyarajasingam & Pearson, 2012).