In general, a bird with bicoloured plumage, with a black back and white belly. In detail, the head has a black crown which extends to a very distinctive crest, which is also black. The back and wings are greyish brown with purplish, greenish and bluish tints. The throat and upper breast are black. The rest of its underparts are white, except the undertail coverts which are reddish brown (uppertail coverts are of the same colour). In flight, you can see the dark wings, with white tips on the primary feathers. White tail with a black band at the end. Reddish legs. The female may differ from the male in having a smaller crest and more white on the head (especially on the chin) and breast.

The adult has a white throat and yellowish tints on the head in winter. The back has some feathers with ochre coloured edges. The juvenile is very similar to the adult in winter, but it has a yellowish brown plumage on the back and wing coverts and a brown breast instead of black. During the breeding period it can be found on open land, at medium or low altitudes, with low-lying  grazing land or scrubland vegetation, nesting in the vicinity of wetlands, mainly lagoons, water holes, tidal flats, or slow-moving rivers. Also in agricultural areas. In winter it is present in a wide variety of places, preferably grazing lands, herbaceous meadows, arable croplands (fallow lands, stubble fields, uncultivated and irrigated lands) and all kinds of wetlands.