The crested eagle has a light and dark morph. The light morph is dusky-brown above, with a gray head and breast. The belly is pale with rusty barring. The dark morph has a blackish head and breast. The belly is pale with black barring. The juvenile is very pale with dusky tail and flight feather and goes through multiple stages before attaining the adult plumage. It is similar to the harpy eagle but is distinguished by smaller size, barred belly, lack of solid black breast band, and a crest that shows a single tip rather than a split crest in the harpy eagle.