It is a spectacular looking bird with its white hood, red eyes and yellowish bill with a line of scaled feathers down from the bill and up over the crown, contrasted with rufous neck and back and a black lower body and tail.

Large, with unique plastic-like feathers on head and throat, sexes alike.

And whole head grey, almost white on the throat with feather on top of head and Down center of throat to upper breast tipped with black scale-like feathers; upper back forming a continuous bend with chestnut on lower breast; back, wings, and graduated white-tipped tail glossy black on lower belly and under tail coverts.

It feeds on insects, especially favouring caterpillars and small mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

However, the population is believed to be declining due to deforestation from land conversion, Illegal logging and slash-and-burn farming.