A Red-wattled Lapwing. Its body is white, whilst its wings and back are light brown with a purple sheen near the shoulders. The primaries are black and the scapulars white, forming a distinctive white V-shape in flight.

The head, chest and front part of the neck are black with a red fleshy wattle in front of each eye. The bill is red with a black tip and it has a large white patch behind the eyes. It has a short white tail with a black bar towards the end, which is only visible during flight. Its legs are yellow and long.