This falcon has strong sexual dimorphism in its plumage. Males have a chestnut back and a blue-grey crown, neck, rump, and tail. Their belly is a creamy pink with small brown streaks. The eye ring is bright yellow while the feet are an orange-yellow. The undersides of the wings are white with a black tip.
Females have a brown back and head with a pale belly.
Both the back and belly are streaked with brown. The wings are also light with dark barring and black tips. They will eat almost anything they can kill. Their selected prey is either the most abundant or most easily caught of the area. Other prey examples are young rabbits, birds, small bats, lizards, snakes, frogs, insects, earthworms, fish, and crabs.