A large, robust bushshrike with a massive head, a chunky hook-tipped bill, and a gray eye and head; a white patch on the face often extends above and below the eye. Wings are green, spotted with yellow. Pairs skulk at middle levels and in the canopy of montane and gallery forest and plantation edges, seldom joining flocks. The species forages slowly and deliberately, hopping along branches, diligently searching for food. Gray-headed Bushshrike, which prefers savanna, differs from the larger Monteiro’s by having pale yellow eyes and a white facial patch that is restricted to the area between the eye and bill base. Monteiro’s gives a low-pitched extended sorrowful “whhooooooo” song repeatedly, along with various harsh clicks and rasps.