Breeding male has red head, throat belly with red and black striped wings. Non-breeding male has red head, grey belly, and brown and black striped wings. Female has grey belly, brown and black striped head and wings with a reddish patch under the eye.
Langrand, Olivier; 1990: Guide to the Birds of Madagascar, Yale University Press
Sinclair, I & Langrand, O.; 1998: Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands, Struik