Pale gray upperparts. Whitish underparts. Yellow face, crown, and throat. Black lores. Chestnut-brown shoulders. Short, thin, black bill. Juveniles lack both the yellow head and chestnut-brown shoulders. Sexes similar. 4 to 4.5 inches in length.

Low desert scrub.

Nesting

3-5 greenish eggs with spots. The eggs have a 10 day incubation period. Fledging occurs in 21 days. The nest is a hanging structure lined with feathers and grass and has a side entrance hole. The nest is typically built among the spiny branches of a cholla cactus or mesquite tree.