A small, drab, unstreaked sparrow with one, sometimes two prominent white wingbars. Gray-brown above, pale brown to whitish on underparts. Male has an indistinct eyebrow, an inconspicuous pale yellow spot on throat, and light chestnut on shoulders. Juvenile resembles female. The familiar call is a distinctive “chilp” that it gives mostly while perching high. Inhabits light forests, scrub jungles, villages, and cultivated areas.