The upperparts are yellowish green, the underparts are pale grey, and the throat is white edged with black.

Young birds are duller and have mottling on the breast and brown markings on the underparts.

This species is similar to the buff-throated saltator but is larger and has a darker head and paler under parts with a yellow patch on the throat.

The black-headed saltator feeds on fruit,[a] buds, nectar, and slow-moving insects.

[b] They are laid in a bulky grass-lined cup nesting up to 3 m (9.8 ft) high in a thicket between April and July.