A small and long-tailed, small-billed finch. Virtually unstreaked. Male has a pink face and breast with a whitish forehead and crown. Female is pale gray-brown overall with a whitish belly. Lives in deep desert canyons. Resident or locally nomadic. Often flies long distances to water sources. Its rarely-heard song is a quick series of 6–7 metallic “Tzi-tzi-tzi-tzi-tzi-tzi” notes. Flight call a metallic “Tziup.”