While this sparrow is large and boldly marked, it is often difficult to see due to its fondness for heavy cover. Male: Upperparts are black, with white corners on the long black tail, and a black hood covering the upper breast. The sides and flanks are bright rufous, while the belly is white. Undertail coverts are buffy. A small white patch at the base of the primaries is visible both at rest and in flight. Female: Shows the same pattern as the male, but with brown upperparts instead of black. Northern birds have reddish-brown irises, while the resident southeastern population has whitish irises. Juveniles are dark brown above, buffy below, and heavily streaked throughout. Young birds show the same white corners on the tail as the adults.

Length: 17 (cm) Wingspan: 25 (cm)

Voice:

Call is a coarse ascending chewink. Song is usually two notes, followed by a trill, often described as "drink your teeeeeeea."

Habitat:

Dense thickets, shrubby understory of mixed forest.

Behavior:

When foraging, often exposes food by kicking back with both feet in the leaf litter.

Feeding:

Eats a wide variety of seeds, fruit, and invertebrates, taken from low vegetation.