The male's crown is dull gold with a wide black patch through the eye below it.

The throat is yellowish-white; below it is a cinnamon breastband and a yellow to olive belly, both with faint streaks.

The female is similar but duller and it has more yellowish markings on the wings and its throat is black-spotted cinnamon.

[3] The brown-chested barbet apparently breeds from as early as March into June.

[3] The brown-chested barbet's song is "a rapid 'hoo' trill of short notes" [1].