The common Iora is a bird about the size of a sparrow. At a distance the Iora looks yellowish. Close up, however, it can be seen that the upper parts of the male, including the wings and tail, are colored black. It has double white bars across the wings. The underparts of the wings are yellow. Over the winter period, this long breeding plumage is lost and the upper parts change to green colour. The female is yellowish green above and below. The wing quills are brown with brilliantly yellow edges. The wings of the female also feature white bars. The Iora also has a grey blue and black bill and grey blue feet. The total length of the bird is between five and five and a half inches with a wing span of about two and a half inches.