Handsome small thrush. Male has a black head, gray back, and orange belly. Female is brown above and orange below, with a heavily black-streaked throat and upper breast; yellow bill and heavier streaking separate her from female Gray-backed Thrush, which may overlap with Black-breasted in winter. Black-breasted breeds in mid- to high-elevation forests and descends into foothills and upper lowlands in the winter. Song is typical of a thrush: highly varied phrases of fluidly melodic notes.