This shy sparrow is more often heard than seen. Upperparts are a dark rusty brown with blackish and buff steaks. The wings are a brighter rufous, contrasting with the darker back. The face and nape are gray, with a streaked rusty cap (solid rufous on breeding males), dark line behind the eye, whitish submoustachial stripe and throat, and a thin dark malar stripe. The breast is gray (and may show blurry streaking), fading to whitish on the belly and buffy on the flanks. Juvenile has blackish crown, buffy wash over breast, and dark streaks on the neck, breast, and flanks.

Length: 12 (cm) Wingspan: 19 (cm)

Voice:

Song is a slow trill, all on the same pitch. Call note is a metallic chink.

Habitat:

Freshwater and brackish marshes, bogs.

Behavior:

Typically found in or near dense vegetation, but will sing from exposed perches and responds well to pishing, but tends to approach low through the brush rather than popping up on an exposed perch to investigate.

Feeding:

Forages for seeds, fruit, and insects in vegetation, on the ground, and at the water's edge.