It has a black crown and hindneck with a fleshy red wattle covering the forehead and forecrown, contrasting with a white face and throat.

The male is slightly smaller than the female and measures 20–22 cm (7.9–8.7 in) in length and weighs 68–84 g (2.4–3.0 oz).

The bird occurs in south-eastern Borneo, the southern Philippines, Sulawesi, Moluccas, Lesser Sunda Islands, north and south-east New Guinea, New Britain (Lake Lalili), and northern and eastern Australia.

[4] It builds a flimsy nest on floating or emergent vegetation, in which the female lays four lustrous, pale brown eggs covered by black markings.

This species gives a squeaky, high-pitched chittering, also described as a shrill trill with an explosive soft bugle.