Very small finchlike bird with a short bill. Males are unmistakable—mostly cinnamon with a black cap, wings, and tail. Females are brown above and pale below. Both sexes have a white wing spot. Females are difficult to separate from female Pearly-bellied Seedeaters, but they are less gray overall than Pearly-bellied. Found in savannas and grasslands where it is often seen in flocks with other seedeaters.