This resident bird lives in New Guinea's mountain forests and secondary growth. It searches the ground and lower vegetation for insects, worms, and fruit.
Adults have a rufous nape, grey head, dull yellowish-olive back, and yellow throat. The centre of the breast and belly is diffusely white, while the sides are olive. The sexes are alike; juveniles are reddish chestnut.
It uses mountain forest and secondary growth, foraging on the ground, in undergrowth, and in the lower storey for insects, worms, and fruit. One account gives mainly 1,400–2,600 m; a separate compilation gives 1,200–3,600 m.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.