Tiny, compact bird, a typical flowerpecker with a short bill and very short tail. Adult male glossy black above, with bright red chest, black stripe in center of belly, and red undertail coverts. Female gray above, pale below, with red undertail coverts. Juvenile plain, with orange bill base and undertail coverts. Inhabits many habitats across much of mainland Australia. Flight call a high-pitched, thin “dzee,” song a series of high twittering notes.