The Common Newtonia is endemic to Madagascar. It has grey-brown upperparts and pale underparts, and searches forests for small invertebrates.
Adults are grey-brown over the head, back, wings, and tail, with warm pale buff underparts. The sexes are similar; juveniles are browner above and may have rufous-brown tips on the wing coverts.
It feeds on small invertebrates such as spiders and beetles, and often joins mixed-species flocks in forest.
Adults have pale creamy-yellow to golden-yellow eyes and black bills.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.