Small sandy-colored tinamou; largely yellow below with a cryptically patterned back and head with a mix of dark and pale feathers. Mostly found in natural grasslands and savannas as well as in cultivated areas and can be locally common, but difficult to spot. The song is a repetitive “Tchip, tchip, tchip, tchip” or an insect-like “triiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii” trill.