The male has a black head, an unstreaked yellow mantle, bright yellow underparts, and a broad yellow wing band. The female lacks the black head and is yellow-olive overall. The species uses open habitats and farmland.
The male has a black head and unmarked yellow mantle; the female is yellow-olive without the black head. Both sexes have a broad yellow wing band.
It favors open habitats and agricultural fields. In Tumbes, northwestern Peru, it is uncommon at the edges of humid and semi-deciduous forest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.