A medium Accipiter; 52-68 cm TL; sexes are alike in appearance Head and neck: Head and neck streaked dark brown and white; long crest; lores and around eyes covered with small, grey scale-like feathers; eye pale yellow; cere dark grey; upper bill black; lower bill grey with black tip; throat white with dark brown stripes.
Body: Back and wings dark brown; ; breast and abdomen whitish with with some brown barring.
Limbs and tail: Legs and feet yellow; tail brown with 3 to 4 dark brown bars.