The male has black from head to neck and underparts. Upperparts are buff with fine black vermiculation and black arrowhead markings, and it has a conspicuous white patch on the wing converts. Females are larger than the male and have a buff brown color, with a dark brown crown and narrow dark streak down the side of the neck. Larger and stockier than lesser florican, with broad head and thicker neck.

Conservation status: It is declining dramatically and only survives in small, highly fragmented populations (220-280 birds in India and up to 100 in Nepal). Consequently, it is uplisted from Endangered to Critically Endangered status in the 2007 IUCN Red List. It is also listed in CITES Appendix I. It is usually poached for its feathers and format.