It breeds in Siberia and eastern Asia and migrates south. Hong Kong records are from autumn passage and winter.
Males have a red throat edged by a narrow black border, with a white eyebrow and moustache stripe. Females have a white to pale pink throat.
During migration and winter it forages low in shrubland, reedbeds and mangrove edges, taking small invertebrates.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.