A distinctive mid-sized kingfisher with a jet black head, white collar, and blood-red bill. Its plumage includes purple-blue upperparts and pale orange-rufous underparts. The throat is white, the tail is blue with a black underside, and white flashes on the underwings are prominent in flight. Juveniles are less vibrant blue, with a small rufous-buff spot in front of the eye, a buffy collar, and dusky scaling on the breast. Its calls are similar to those of the White-throated Kingfisher but are slightly higher-pitched.