Handsome songster of tangles and thickets in lowland and foothill rainforest. It ranges widely in northern South America but is not found west of the Andes. Plumage varies geographically but always has black face, white throat, white eyebrow, and barred tail. In parts of its large range, it may also have white streaks on the face, a white belly, and/or a darker head. Pairs skulk in dense vegetation and are heard more often than seen. Song is a complicated series of hollow whistles, often given as a duet.