Greyish dark-legged pipit. Prominent supercilia and pale lores. In breeding plumage grey head, browner back and plain pinkish-white underparts. In non-breeding plumage is lightly streaked below, greyer above. Less heavily streaked than Rosy and Red-breasted. Similar Buff-breasted is less streaked. Feeds in loose groups.

A tiny, green and yellow tit, the male with a red crown and throat in breeding plumage. Green above with two thin, white wing bars. Deep yellow below in male, paler in female and almost white in juvenile. Beady black eyes and very short pointed bill.

Male is almost stark white above and black below; has long, broad white supercilium, white panels on wings and black tail. Female mostly grey-brown above and pale greyish below; female of eastern race australorientis has more rufous on rump and tail. Juvenile is spotted brown and buff. Can be seen singly, or in pairs; gregarious; often in mixed foraging flocks; arboreal; active hunter at canopy level.

Sexes alike. Whitish plumage sullied with grey-brown; pink on lower back, rump and flanks; whitetipped brown crest on back of head; black primaries and
dark brown secondaries distinctive in flight; flesh coloured gular pouch has a bluish-purple wash; at close range the blue spots on upper mandible and on gular pouch confirm identity of species. Purely aquatic; seen singly as well as in large gatherings, driving the fish into shallow waters before scooping up the prey in the gular pouches.