This bulbul is divided among four Central Philippine islands: Tablas, Romblon, Siquijor, and Cebu. It uses forest edges and secondary growth, but in degraded places it occurs only where forest remains nearby.
About 22 cm long, it has a long tail, a mid-brown head and upperparts, and brownish-gray underparts. The throat and upper breast are paler, with broad, diffuse dark-brown streaks on the breast. The prominence of the dark cap differs among island populations.
Its territorial song repeats short phrases in rapid bursts, and the bird is often encountered in vocal pairs.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.