Bill short, robust, bulging at the base, conical, acute; upper mandible with its dorsal outline convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp and overlapping; lower mandible with the angle short and very broad, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the sides rounded, the edges inflected; the acute decurved tip of the upper mandible extending considerably beyond that of the lower; the gape-line deflected at the base.
Head rather large, ovate, flattened above; neck short; body full. Legs short, of moderate strength; tarsus short, compressed, with six anterior scutella, and two plates behind, forming a thin edge; toes short, the first proportionally stout, the third much longer than the two lateral, which are about equal; their scutella large, their lower surface with large pads covered with prominent papillæ. Claws rather long, arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, and acute.
Plumage soft, full, rather blended, the feathers oblong. At the base of the upper mandible are strong bristly feathers directed forwards. The wings of moderate length; the primaries rounded, the second and third longest, and with the fourth and fifth having their outer webs slightly cut out. Tail rather long, emarginate, of twelve strong, broad, obliquely rounded feathers.
Bill reddish-brown. Iris hazel. Feet blackish-brown, claws black. The general colour of the plumage is bright carmine tinged with vermilion; the feathers of the fore part of the back and the scapulars greyish-brown in the centre; the bristly feathers at the base of the bill blackish-brown; the middle of the breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts, light grey, the latter with a central dusky streak. Wings blackish-brown; the primaries and their coverts narrowly edged with reddish-white, the secondaries more broadly with white; the secondary coverts and first row of small coverts tipped with reddish-white, the smaller coverts edged with red.
Length to end of tail 8 1/2 inches, to end of wings 6 1/4, to end of claws 6 3/4; extent of wings 14; wing from flexure 4 3/4; tail 4; bill along the ridge 7 1/2/12, along the edge of lower mandible 7/12; tarsus 9 1/2/12; first toe 4 1/2/12, its claw 5/12; middle toe 8/12, its claw 5/12.
Female. Plate CCCLVIII. Fig. 2.
The female is scarcely inferior to the male in size. The bill is dusky, the feet as in the male. The upper part of the head and hind neck are yellowish-brown, each feather with a central dusky streak; the rump brownish-yellow; the rest of the upper parts light brownish-grey. Wings and tail as in the male, the white edgings and the tips tinged with grey; the cheeks and throat greyish-white or yellowish; the fore part and sides of the neck, the breast, sides, and abdomen ash-grey, as are the lower tail-coverts.
Length to end of tail 8 1/4 inches, to end of wings 6 1/4, to end of claws 6 3/4; extent of wings 13 1/2; wing from flexure 4 1/2; tail 3 10/12; tarsus 9 1/2/12; middle toe and claw 1 1/12.
Young fully fledged. Plate CCCLVIII. Fig. 3.
The young, when in full plumage, resemble the female, but are more tinged with brown.