A small, dumpy endearing chat. The color varies from pale gray-brown to nearly white, with a very pale rump that extends onto the outer tail feathers to form a distinctive V-shaped black wedge in the tail. Pairs prefer open flat plains in the Karoo and Namib, prospering in the most barren environments where few other birds persist. In Namibia, the similar race of Karoo Chat is longer-tailed, avoids hyper-arid barren environments, and has a distinctive dark tail with white outer tail feathers that reach the tail tip.