The large ground finch weighs about 27-39 g, and its length ranges slightly 15-16 cm.

The adult male is mostly black, with slightly browner wings and tail; the cloaca is white-streaked; the eyes are dark brown.

An adult female has browner feathers compared to a male, sometimes with yellow-brown or grey outer edges; scaled patterns are found going up the body; most parts of the torso and the head are streaked with brown and pale yellow shades.

[2] It has a large beak, having a thick base of lower mandibles and curved culmen.

Thanks to its versatile beak, the large ground finch often has a variety of food supplies.

[2] Normally, the shape of their nests is round with a lateral entrance, and they are built in cacti or in bushes 3-9 meters above the ground.

[2] The breeding season starts shortly after the first rains and egg laying occurs mostly during high rainfall periods.