Darker grey than southern pale chanting goshawk. At rest, the forewing does not contrast with the rest of the wing as it does in southern pale chanting goshawk. The rump and secondaties are grey, not white.
Juvenile has a darker brown breast band than juvenile southern pale chanting goshawk, and has a barred, grey-brown rump.
Thornveld and open broad-leaved woodland. Range overlaps narrowly with that of southern pale chanting goshawk.
Piping call, similar to that of southern pale chanting goshawk: 'kleeu-kleeu-klu-klu'.