A tiny desert passerine that is active, bold, and noisy. Overall pale sandy-gray. Middle Eastern populations are grayer and have a more prominent facial pattern than North African populations. Favors desert wadis but also bush-strewn desert plains. Hops on the ground or in bushes with its long black-tipped tail spread and cocked up. Moves around in pairs or small groups, uttering noisy trills and a bi-syllabilic melancholic whistled “see-suu…” Similar to Graceful Prinia, but favors more arid habitats.