A long-tailed, pale prinia-like warbler with a rufous facial patch on the side of the head and a neat black band across the throat on otherwise white underparts. The juvenile may lack the throat band and have duller facial patches. Singles and pairs avoid trees, preferring arid open shrubland on sparsely vegetated plains, where they forage on low shrubs, sometimes hopping between bushes on the ground with the tail cocked. The species sings a distinctive high-pitched shrill “tzeee” note 6-20 times in rapid succession, often betraying its presence.