Large, plain montane cisticola. The most outstanding aspects of the plumage are a reddish cap and two bands across the tip of the tail, one pale and one black. Found in open montane habitats with thick herbaceous undergrowth, including forest edge, grassland, and heath. Almost always in pairs or small groups. The distinctive song is given in chorus: a frantic up-and-down series of scratchy notes. As with other cisticolas, habitat and vocalizations are important to identification. Fairly similar to Singing Cisticola, but lacks a rufous panel in the wings.