A large fruit dove; 32-33 cm TL; 263 g; sexes are alike in appearance. Head and neck: Forehead and crown grey (subsp. merrilli), brownish red (subsp. faustinoi); throat light grey; eye dark red; bill red
Body: nape, back, rump, and wing coverts green; secondaries with purplish wing spot; breaste and upper abdomen grey; a green band separates the grey upper abdomen and yellowish white lower abdomen.
Limbs and tail: Legs and feet dark red; tail green; undertail coverts green edged with broad white.