The head and upperparts are blackish brown; pale shafts to the feathers give a streaked appearance.

It has a whitish "whisker" and chin and a thin white crescent across the upper breast.

The underparts are whitish with blackish streaks on the lower breast and flanks.

The bill is mostly black above and yellow-orange below, the eye dark red with a white ring around it, and the feet pale greenish pink.

"[5] The IUCN has assessed the semicollared puffbird as being of Least Concern, though its population is unknown and is believed to be decreasing.