A laughingthrush relative of the eastern Himalayas. Its blue-grey head and back, black face, and broad dark tail band help identify it.
About 23 cm long. It has a blue-grey head and back, a black face, black wing coverts, brown tertials, and a brown tail with a broad black subterminal band and grey tip. The sexes are similar.
It inhabits broadleaf evergreen forest at about 1,650–3,000 m and may descend in severe winters. It feeds on insects, larvae, seeds, fruit, and nectar, often in pairs or small groups and sometimes in mixed babbler flocks.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.