The Subdesert Mesite is restricted to the dry spiny forests of southwestern Madagascar. It walks on the ground by day and searches beneath leaf litter for food.
Its head and throat are white with black stripes. The long, curved bill has a red base; males have a white breast with black crescents, while females have dark spots on the breast and wings.
It is active by day and usually moves in groups of about three to six. It probes leaf litter with its bill for invertebrates, seeds, and small fruits.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.