The jungle mynah is a 22 to 24cm grey-brownish bird with a tuft of feathers forming a small crest on the forehead and at the base of the bill which is not normally present on the common mynah (Acridotheres tristis). It has a black head with the upper areas being more grey-brown and the chin, breast and belly dark ashy-grey. It has a whitish underside, brownish wings and a typical yellow-orange beak. The jungle mynah is sleeker than the common Indian myna and lacks the distinguishing yellow patch of skin on the posterior side of the eye. Interestingly, the colour of its iris is yellow in northern India, whereas in southern India, its bluish-white.