Streaky, short-tailed brown bird with a long, slightly decurved bill; the only wren-babbler in its range to have a long bill. Long pale streaks all over the body give it a slick-feathered appearance. Like other wren-babblers, shy and reclusive, foraging in dense undergrowth and among the leaf litter of foothill and montane broadleaf forests. Usually seen singly or in pairs. Gives a clear, piercing whistle.