Sparrow-sized finch with a long, mostly square tail and a thick gray bill with curved culmen. Males usually have a bright red-orange patch on breast and throat, and on forehead and eyebrow. A small portion of the population is xanthochromatic. On such individuals, parts of the plumage that would normally be red are yellow or light orange. Pale belly with long, thick poorly-defined streaks. Lightly streaked under tail. Back is streaked gray-brown, with little or no red. Grayish-brown wings, marked by two faint white wing bars. Females are gray-brown with thick blurry streaks on belly and back. Juveniles more crisply streaked above and below, warmer brown overall, and may be mistaken for a female Cassin's Finch. Can be told from other Carpodacus finches by their smaller bodies and longer, more squared-off tails.

Length: 15 (cm) Wingspan: 25 (cm)

Voice:

Song a long, bright warble, often with an up-slurred note at the end. Call a rising wheet, resembling House Sparrow.

Habitat:

Often found in suburban areas, city parks, grasslands, deserts, orchards and forest edges.

Behavior:

Noisy and gregarious. Commonly encountered at feeders. Has bounding flight like other finches.

Feeding:

Diet primarily consists of nectar, seeds, berries, and buds; occasionally eats insects.