Streaky brown bird of fields, scrubby edge, and dense thickets. This large but retiring warbler is most often seen as a flash of chestnut rump and long, trailing tail as it flushes from close proximity. Occasionally perches out into the open, sometimes even on telephone lines. Warm brown with black streaking all over; size, shape, and habitat distinguish this species from similarly-colored cisticolas, prinias, and babblers. Song usually starts off with a few sharp introductory notes, then descends into jumbled, rich warbling. Gives “piht” calls, often repetitively.