Compact, medium-sized bird with large head and bill. Easily identifiable by prominent black marks on sides of neck and extensively spotted underparts, as well as by shape and behavior. Generally inconspicuous; sits quietly in mid-story and understory, sallying to branches or foliage for large insects. Sometimes seen near arboreal termite nests, which it uses for nesting. Found in riverine forest and forests with sandy soils; also abandoned plantations in coastal regions. Song, usually given in pre-dawn darkness, is a two-noted phrase repeated in a long, rapid series.