This laughingthrush has fine grey and rufous streaks. It often moves on the ground among shrubs and forest edges around the Himalayas.
The head, neck, and back have grey and rufous streaks, with longer pale streaks on the back. The wings and tail are grey-brown with a rufous tinge, and the ear-coverts are dull rufous. The sexes look alike; shades vary slightly among subspecies.
It lives in pairs or small groups of about three to six and searches for food on the ground and in bushes. It eats insects, spiders, berries, fruits, and seeds. It is mainly sedentary but may move to lower elevations in severe winter weather.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.