Eophona migratoria measures between eighteen and twenty centimeters in length, for a wingspan of 23–24 cm and a weight of 55-60 g. The appearance is massive, as is typical of the finches, with a large head.

The body is of a uniform gray color, darker on the back and wings and lighter and tending to silver on the belly, with accentuated brown shades on the sides.

Eophona migratoria breeds in temperate forests and winters in southern parts of China and Japan, Taiwan and northern Southeast Asia.The nest is cup-shaped and is built by the female among the trees, in the thickest vegetation: inside it usually lays 4 bluish eggs with brown spots, which it hatches alone (with the male who provides it with food) to 12-13 days.

Outside the breeding season, this bird tends to live in small groups of about ten individuals, which move among the trees in search of food, rarely going down to the ground.

These birds are granivorous, mainly feeding on seeds that they break without problems thanks to the strong and robust beak:.