It is light brown overall, with a whitish mid-belly, a black cap and a pinkish pattern on the wings and tail.

It feeds on seeds, and during the winter descends in flocks to agricultural fields to find food.

The female lays and incubates 4 or 5 blue, lightly speckled eggs.

[3] This species has a disjunct range in the High Atlas of Morocco and on the Aurès Mountains in north-east Algeria.

Male birds also differ compared to the Asian birds in that they lack the extensive pink in their uppertail-coverts and have no black spots on their breast-sides, less distinct black markings on the mantle and ear-coverts, and almost no red on the face.