Juvenile nankeen night herons are quite different in appearance compared to adults, with the top of their head and their nape being a black-brown colour and streaked with beige. The upper throat and chin are white, while the rest of the neck is heavily streaked with brown. The tail of juveniles is rufous-brown, the legs and feet are lime-green to olive-grey, and the bill is a dull olive-yellow colour with black on the tip. Nankeen night heron chicks are covered with dark brown down feather on their back and white on the undersides. They have cream coloured beaks with a dark grey edge, and the legs are olive.