As winter approaches they tend to head to the south of Taiwan until the beginning of spring, when they return to the valleys of the north. A minority will fly as far south as the Philippines to escape the winter.
在冬天來臨時，牠們少部分會移棲南部，流浪於嘉南平原，春初再進入北部丘陵盆地；黃頭鷺中某些族群會飛往菲律賓過冬。