 Depending on subspecies, it is overall brownish tinged grey to various extend, and has a strong, black barred to faint vermiculated pattern on the back and neck (for example, while "C. u. undulatus" is relatively rich brown and strongly barred, "C. u. yapura" is darker, more grey-tinged and only has faint vermiculations).It has a whitish throat, and the remainder of its underparts are olive-grey to buff with dark vermiculation on its lower flanks and vent.Its bill is black above and grey below.