These birds have a large head, long, straight, thick, pointed beak, and have a shaggy crest on the top and back of their head. They are stocky and have short legs.
They spend most of their time near the edge of water, perched in the trees.
They hunt by plunging directly from their perch into the water, or by hovering over the water with their beak down, diving once they spot a fish. Once it catches its prey, it will return to it’s perch and bang the head of its prey on the perch, and finally swallow it headfirst.
Their diet consists mostly of fish, and sometimes crayfish and other crustaceans.