Adult Description
- Medium-sized songbird.
- Yellow with dark wings, tail and back.
- Two bright wingbars.
Male Description
Breeding (Alternate) plumage: Entire head red. Hindneck, rump, and underparts bright yellow. Two wingbars, upper bright yellow, lower whitish yellow. Back, wings, and tail black. Bill dull yellow. Legs and feet bluish gray. Eye dark.
Nonbreeding (Basic) plumage: Head yellowish without red or with only reddish wash. Duller yellow underparts, washed with olive green. Back feathers tipped with yellowish or olive.Female Description
Olive green upperparts. Back and wings gray. Yellowish rump. Underparts variable from bright yellow to grayish white; palest on belly, brightest under tail. Two yellowish white wing bars. Tail grayish brown or olive.Immature Description
Similar to female. Immature male brighter yellow.