This small bird lives in southern Australian mallee scrub and similar habitats. Its warm brown back, chestnut rump, and white wing patch help identify it.
It is 11.5–14 cm long. The upperparts are warm brown, with a grayer head and neck. The pale underparts are heavily streaked; the rump and tail coverts are fiery rufous-chestnut. It holds its tail cocked, with a white tip, and shows a white wing patch when the wing is folded.
It inhabits mallee woodland with dense shrubs and heath plants. It feeds on the ground, mostly on insects, and rarely on seeds.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.