Earlier known as the Yellow-throated Sparrow, famous as the bird that kindled Dr. Salim Ali’s interest in ornithology, is slimmer and smaller than the House Sparrow. A plain brownish-grey sparrow with a longish tail. The male has a prominent chestnut shoulder patches bordered with black and white. It also has an indistinct lemon-yellow throat patch. Both these markings are duller in the otherwise similar female. The bill is fine and yellow-black during the breeding season. Overall pale and featureless in uncertain light.

The flight is pipit like and the call is a high Cheep cheep