More of a soft blush than a burning flame, the red patch on the male’s face is nonetheless unique. The female lacks the red patch, but is still distinctive in her size, small sharp bill, and pale wingbars. Both sexes are yellow above and pale gray below, with the male being more predominantly yellow than the female. Found in montane broadleaf forest at middle to high elevations, sometimes mixed in with other species; some populations descend to lower foothills and lowlands in the winter. Song is an undulating series of twitters, chips, and trills; also twitters and trills when flocking.