The adult male is grey-brown above and orange below with a grey head, throat and upper breast.

Juvenile birds are similar to hepatic females but are paler and have dark streaks rather than bars on the crown and throat.

C. m. querulus is the most widespread form, occurring in north-east India, Bangladesh, southern China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

C. m. threnodes is found in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo while C. m. lanceolatus occurs in Java, Bali and Sulawesi.

The plaintive cuckoo inhabits forest edge, open woodland, scrub, grassland, farmland, parks and gardens.