Black face and long, pointed crest. Dark brown hindneck and upperparts. White foreneck, throat, and underparts. White cheek, which is separated from rest of neck by a thin dark line extending from bill to hindneck. Red ear patch and vent. Slender black bill. Long black tail with white tip. Immature birds are similar to adults, but lack the red ear patch, have a grayish-brown crown, and appear duller overall. Sexes similar. 7 inches in length.

Native to southern Asia, but have been introduced into parts of North America, such as southern Florida and Hawaii (unauthorized cage release in O'ahu around 1965).

Nesting

2-4 pale pink eggs streaked and spotted with red. The eggs have a 24 day incubation period. Fledging occurs in ? days. The nest is a woven cup made from rootlets, bark, and leaves and lined with softer fibers. The nest is usually built in a low tree fork.