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The male of Saxaul Sparrow have grey yellowish tinged upperparts. The middle of the crown and the neck are black with little light edges on the feathers. The feathers of the mantle with narrow black core strips. Two broad rusty-buff strips starting from the bill cross the flanks of head. The lore, behind eye strip, chin and throat are black. The cheeks and underparts are dirty-whitish, the feathers of undertail have light-brownish spots. The flight feathers are brownish with yellowish-grey edges. The upperwing coverts are black with light edges hidden the black parts of neighbor feathers, and with white tips of greater and median coverts. The white tips of the greater and median coverts form the two bars on each wing. The tail feathers are brownish with narrow light edges. The bill and claws are black, the legs are light-brownish. The eyes are dark-brown. The female is similar on male but has dimmer color. The crown is dark-grey almost black with different dispersing of the light edges on feathers. The flanks of the head are rusty. The lore, behind eye strip, chin and throat are dark-grey. In autumn plumage both males and females have larger grey and rusty-grey edges of the feathers. Juveniles are similar on female but have more buffy background color and more expressive dark strips on the mantle. The bill is light-brownish. Weight 23,7-38,0 grams, wing 73-80, tail 60-60 mm.