Adult Plumage:
The adult bird presents with a white ring around the eye and a short, white supercilium (eyebrow stripe). Above the supercilium, there is a faint black band. Below the eye, a broader band extends through the ear coverts and down the sides of the neck. The remaining dorsal (back) plumage is pale grayish-brown, with the crown and nape (back of the neck) showing brown coloration only at the feather shafts. The outer tail feathers have black tips, followed by a white band, and then a narrow, dark brown band. The wing coverts are paler than the back.
The smaller inner wing coverts, the greater wing coverts, and the primary coverts are a pale black color. The primary feathers are pale black with a wide white stripe in the middle of the first two feathers, which diminishes in size on the subsequent feathers. The final primary feathers are white with a broad pale brown band near the tip. The secondary feathers are pale blackish-brown with white bases and tips that fade to the color of the back. There is a short grayish-brown band at the gape (edge of the beak). The ventral (belly) plumage is white. The eyes are yellow or pale green. The beak is black, with a pale yellowish-green or pale yellow base. The legs are pale yellowish-green or pale greenish-yellow.
Measurements:
- Wing: 252 – 273 mm
- Tarsus (leg): 80 – 84 mm
- Bill: 74 – 87 mm
Distribution:
This species is distributed in India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and China (Hainan).
Vietnam:
This species is very rare in Vietnam, with observations limited to the coastal areas near Quảng Trị Province.