There is a prominent, white half- collar around the back of the neck. The tail is brown to grey-brown with 5 narrow, whitish bars. The head is round and there are no ear tufts. The facial disk is not well defined, the face being whitish, with small brown markings, mainly in the form of 2 or 3 broken, concentric rings around each yellow eye. The Bill is yellowish, as are the bare parts of the feathered toes.
Legs are also feathered, claws are dark horn with blackish tips.
When excited, one will cock its tail, flicking it from side to side. When angry, the feathers of the body and head are raised, and when frightened, they are held tightly against the upright body. Flight is woodpecker-like and undulating over a distance. When excited, this is followed by a quick succession of 3-6 staccato notes , sometimes with a trilling character. The Female's voice a similar, but higher pitched and thinner.