The males of the northern subspecies are larger, their upper parts and their tail are white with most feathers with some black spots, while their lower parts and crest are bright black-bluish. The males of the southern subspecies have their upper parts and tail with extensive blacker gray spots, making them appear much darker than the northern subspecies. The plumage of the adult male is reached in the second year. The females are brown and with the tail shorter than the males. The females of some subspecies have whitish underscored parts heavily stamped with black and the upper mantle and brown tail.

Found in forests, mainly in the mountains, the southeast Asiatic continent, and in the east and south of China, also introduced in Hawaii and in various places in the continent of the United States.