The 12 cm long adults have grey-brown upperparts with small black and white spots and pale grey underparts with a light brown rump. They have a light grey line over the eye, a long slightly decurved thin bill, a long barred tail and dark legs.
These birds are permanent residents in the south of their range, but northern populations migrate to warmer areas from the central United States and southwest Canada southwards. They are occasional vagrants in the eastern United States.
This bird's song is a trill, becoming more varied during the nesting season.
- Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
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