Adult:
The area in front of the eyes and some feathers on the forehead are black. A pale yellow or white stripe extends from in front of the eyes, over the eyes. The head and nape are pale green. The ear coverts are blue or green, sometimes extending into a narrow black stripe on the nape. The sides of the neck and a broad collar on the upper breast, and the entire face are white. The upper back and shoulders are pale green; the lower back, flanks, and uppertail coverts are bright blue. The tail is dark blue. The wing coverts are blue, and the tertials are black with blue edges, except for the first one; the tertials are blue.
Juvenile:
The feathers on the breast have dark brown edges, sometimes forming a collar, and the belly is tinged with brownish-orange. The eyes are dark brown. The upper mandible and the outer third of the lower mandible are black; the base of the lower mandible is pale yellow. The legs are pale grayish-black.
Measurements:
- Wing: 96 – 107 mm
- Tail: 62 – 65 mm
- Tarsus: 15 mm
- Bill: 40 – 47 mm
Distribution:
This species is distributed in Bengal, Assam, Myanmar, Thailand, southern Indochina, and northern Malaysia.
In Vietnam, this species is found from Hai Van Pass southwards in the southern provinces such as Tra Vinh and An Giang. Specimens have been collected in Thua Luu (near Hai Van Pass), Nha Trang, and Hon Quan.