This small finch is easily identified by the rounded black tail and the bill that is seasonally red. This Bird is strongly sexually dimorphic.The rump is red and the breeding male is red on most of the upper parts except for a black eye-stripe, lower belly and wings. There are white spots on the red body and wing feathers. The non-breeding male is duller but has the red-rump while the female is duller with less of the white spotting on the feathers.<ref name=pcr/><ref>{{cite book|author=Whistler, Hugh|year=1949|title=Popular Handbook of Indian Birds|publisher=Gurney and Jackson|pages=216–217|url=https://archive.org/stream/popularhandbooko033226mbp#page/n259/mode/1up}}</ref>
