But unlike P. ludovicianus, they have no conspicuous pattern except for the head, which has large amounts of bright red; it may be predominantly so or patterned red-and-black. Almost all Paroaria have at least a short crest.
In contrast to P. ludovicianus, these birds lack an obvious pattern apart from their brightly colored heads, which can be either solidly red or feature red and black stripes. Almost all Paroaria species display a short crest.