The Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler is marked by a black crown, white eyebrow, and short, thick red bill. It uses forest and bamboo habitat from eastern Nepal to northeastern India, foraging on or near the ground.
It has a black crown and a white eyebrow. The upperparts are gray-brown, while the throat through the belly ranges from buff to dark rufous. Its bill is short, thick, and red.
It eats insects and larvae; it has also been reported peeling and eating thin strips of bamboo. It is elusive and may forage on the ground in pairs or small groups.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.