It measures 84 cm in length. The male has black plumage with a white belly, a curly crest on the head, gray beak and red wax, the iris is brown. The female has black plumage and brown belly, wax and base of gray beak and orange iris.

It feeds in trees or on the ground, fruits, nuts, seeds, leaves and small invertebrates. It nests in the trees and the incubation period of the eggs is 28 days.

Its natural habitat is the forests and the edge of rivers, in forest-Atlantic, in the Bay of Baya in Brazil.

Its species is threatened by the destruction and fragmentation of its habitat.