The face is pale brown with well-defined white eyebrows. The eyes are pale lemon-yellow or straw-yellow to golden-yellow. The bill is greenish-yellow with a darker base, while the cere is greenish to bluish. The chin is white, there is a prominent white moustachial streak, and the throat has a large white patch. The upper breast has a greyish-brown, pale-spotted pectoral band.
The crown, nape, ear-coverts and the sides of the neck are dull grey-brown or reddish-brown, marked with broken bars and spots of whitish-fulvous or rufous of various shades. There is a broad fulvous or buffish half-collar on the hindneck, with black bases showing through and forming a black patch on each side of the neck (false eyes, or occipital face).
The rest of the upperparts are brown or greyish-brown, barred whitish-fulvous. The scapulars have white outer webs, forming a bold streak across each shoulder. Primaries are blackish-brown, barred with white or buff. The tail is dark greyish-brown to dark rufous, and densely marked with whitish to reddish-buff bars.
Underparts are white, fulvous-white, or rufous-white with broad dark brown bars on the sides of the breast and flanks, which become fewer and more drop-like on the lower flanks. Overall colour is quite variable.
Legs and toes are pale greenish-yellow to olive-grey, with the soles paler and more yellow. Claws are dark horn.