Males have bold black-and-white plumage, while females are subdued gray-brown. The flycatcher sallies from forest perches to catch insects; some Himalayan populations descend to lower foothills in winter.
The male has striking black-and-white patterning. The female is gray-brown above with pale underparts and a slight cinnamon tint on the rump.
It breeds in broadleaf, coniferous, and mixed forests in foothills and mountains. It sallies from exposed perches in the middle and upper forest levels to catch insects, and may join mixed flocks outside the breeding season. Himalayan populations descend to lower foothills in winter.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.