A medium-sized brown seedeater. Note the boldly marked face with a dark crown, a white eyebrow, and a broad dark-brown patch through the eye. The underparts lack streaking, but may show some brown blotching. Found in woodland, scrub, and cultivated areas. Often in pairs or small flocks. Similar to Reichard's Seedeater, but there is little overlap in range, and West African is easily separated by the unstreaked underparts. Somewhat similar to White-rumped Seedeater, but lacks a white rump, and has a strong facial pattern and unstreaked underparts. Gives a pretty, musical up-and-down song of whistles and trills which also sometimes includes imitations of other birds.