Adult Fire-tufted Barbets have pale green underparts, with black and yellow breast-bands, and dark green upperparts, with a brownish-maroon crown and nape, which is adorned with a diadem-like, whitish band on the fore-crown.

In addition, they have grey ear-coverts with a white edge at the bottom, a thick pale yellowish-green bill, with a dark band, which in this case has gaps, and with several red protruding hairs between the bill and the forehead.