Male Swinhoe's pheasants can reach a maximum length of 79 cm. They exhibit a glossy blue-purple coloring on their chest, belly, and rump, as well as a white nape, red wattles, white tail feathers, and a white crest. Meanwhile, the female specimens are marked with brown and yellow, arrow-shaped spots and complex barring patterns, with maroon outer rectrices. Juvenile males display a dark blue plumage with wing patterns of brown and yellow. One way to differentiate Swinhoe's pheasants from Mikado pheasants is by observing their red legs.