It has a yellow, bare eye ring and half moon-shaped lappets bordering the mandible.

[3] This bird was native to north Argentina, south Paraguay, the chaco and llano region of Bolivia near the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra,[4] northeast Uruguay, and Brazil.

[5] Although suitable habitat remains in El Palmar National Park, in the Argentine province of Entre Ríos, as well as southern Brazil, no rumours of the bird's continued existence in the past several decades have proven credible.

[citation needed] A search conducted by Joe Cuddy and Tony Pittman in 1992 concluded that the birds were extinct in their former range.

Moreover, he stated that stands of pure palm existed "as far as the eye could see" when he flew over the area which is yet to be investigated.