This species is 56–65 cm long. The adult has grey upperparts with a white rump. The central tail feathers are black tipped with white, and the outer feathers are barred grey and white. The head and upper breast are pale grey; the rest of the underparts are finely barred in dark grey and white. Its eyes are yellow, the bill is mostly orange, and it has long orange legs.[2] It is paler than the grey-rumped dark chanting goshawk, Melierax metabates.
