The crested serpent eagle's whole body is covered in gray and brown feathers, but striking bands of white run across the wings and the middle of the tail feathers of the adult birds, making them easy to identify from the ground when they circle in the skies.
大冠鷲全身灰褐色羽毛，成鳥在翅膀與尾羽中段，刷過一道明顯的白色橫帶，當牠們盤旋天際，人們抬頭可由醒目的白色翼帶清楚辨識。