Compact, black-and-white forest hawk. Short tail and broad wings give it a chunkier appearance than other interior forest raptors like forest-falcons and hawks in the genus Accipiter. White below, black above, with a white eyebrow. Has a darker black-streaked head and more noticeable white eyebrows than the similar Black-faced Hawk, which has a white head with a small black mask. Found singly or in pairs in the midstory and canopy of mature rainforest.