A small, plain warbler that is ash-gray above and pale buff below, with a whitish throat and a distinctive pale-lemon eye. In adults, the diagnostic rusty ear-patch and small bar across the breast are often indistinct, and in winter they are frequently absent; juveniles also lack these features. Pairs and small groups are unobtrusive in stands of thorn trees in dry, mixed, and broadleaf woodland, where they may join mixed-species flocks. The species is most frequently detected by its high-pitched, fast-paced trill vocalizations. The similar Red-capped Crombec differs from Burnt-neck Eremomela by having a short tail and a dark eye.