Adult Description
- Large, robust finch.
- Tail relatively short.
- Heavy conical bill pale greenish yellow.
- Large white patch in wing obvious in flight.
Male Description
Brownish black head with black crown. Yellow forehead and eyestripe (supercillium). Wing, tail, and upper tail coverts black. Dark brown nape fading to yellow on back. Secondaries and coverts white, creating large square white patch on back of wing in flight. Dark brownish throat fades to brownish-yellow underparts, becoming brightest under tail. Legs pink.Female Description
Head and upperparts mostly grayish brown. Weak dark malar stripe. Yellowish wash on sides of neck. Uppertail coverts black with white spotting. Wings and tail black with white and gray patches in wing. Throat and underparts pale grayish brown. White under tail.Immature Description
Juveniles similar to female.