Its population is declining most likely due to poaching, both of the eggs and of the bird. Additionally, due to the increasing human population in Western Madagascar, the wetlands where the heron nests are being transformed more and more into rice paddies.
Its population is likely declining because of poaching, which targets both its offspring and the bird itself. Additionally, as a consequence of the increasing human presence in Western Madagascar, the natural habitats where the herons nest are being converted into agricultural areas, such as rice paddies.