This large thrasher is endemic to Mexico, with records from Guanajuato south to Oaxaca. It forages on the ground in dry montane forest and scrub.
It has a dark brown back and tail, a white throat and underparts marked with many dark spots on the breast and flanks. The bill is long and slightly curved, and the wing has a white line.
It uses dry montane scrub and pine-oak forest and searches for invertebrates on the ground. The account gives an elevational range of about 1,400–3,000 m.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.