Upper parts are uniform pale sandy brown or sandy-grey, with white hind neck collar and complete or incomplete breast band. Under parts are white except for breast band.
Sexes are of similar size.
The Juvenile head pattern rather plain, colored as upper parts, with white forehead and supercilium and dark eye. Indistinctly scaly above, with somewhat paler fringes to upper parts and wing coverts. As winter, but acquires black fore crown bar and black breast band which is sometimes incomplete, especially in female.