Streaked in black, brown, grey, and fawn, it blends into leaves and twigs by day and catches insects near the ground at night. It occurs in eastern Australia's coastal forests and woodlands.
Its plumage is streaked black, brown, fawn, and grey, with a small white patch on the throat. By day it blends with leaves and twigs on the ground.
It comes out at night and catches insects close to the ground. It uses forests and woodlands and also gives distinctive calls.
In eastern Australia it breeds mainly from October to December, extending into September or January in favourable conditions. It usually lays one egg on ground among leaves, stones and bark; both parents incubate and care for the chick, which fledges at just over four weeks.
Its rising whook-whook call accelerates into a laughing sequence; it also gives low crooning calls.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.