It is about 23.5 cm long, with a grey-brown back and tail and rufous underparts. White feathers surround the base of its black bill, and it sits still on branches for long periods in Andean forest.
White feathers rim the base of its black bill. Its back and tail are gray-brown, and its underside is rufous.
It can remain still on a branch for long periods. In Peru it is recorded on the eastern Andes east of the Marañón River and in humid forest in the far northwest.
It feeds mainly on insects, including wasps, bees, ants, crickets and butterflies.
It has red irises and grey legs and toes. The white chin and upper throat contrast with the bright chestnut plumage below.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.