An older bird account describes a form now included in Pomatorhinus phayrei under a historical subspecies name. It records olive-brown upperparts, rufous underparts, and movement beneath dense cover.
The historical account describes olive-brown upperparts without rufous, a fine dark line above the white eyebrow, and rufous-tinged underparts.
The historical account says it moves in large bounds along the ground beneath dense forest undergrowth and occurs in pairs or small parties.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.