A small cuckoo of foothill and mid-montane forest. Underparts white with dark bars from bill to tail. Emerald green above with rufous flight feathers and obvious white ear crescents. Male has bright red eyes and female a rufous forehead. Regularly found in mixed species flocks. Potentially co-occurs with other bronze-cuckoo species, but White-eared Bronze-Cuckoo is the only species with a dark cheek and white ear mark. Call, a series of loud, downward “piuu!” notes.