While the Pearl of Allah is often referred to as looking like a brain, the Pearl of Elias resembles a misshapen giant's head rising up and out from the clam.

Superficially, it is a small brown bird like other sparrows that can occur in its habitat, such as the Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) and Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum).