This barwing lives in mountain regions from Southeast Asia to southern China. It has a bold white eye-ring and barred wings and tail; the crown and mantle colors differ among described subspecies.
It has a long tail, a bold white eye-ring, densely barred wings and tail, and plain buff underparts. The crown and mantle are grayish in the nominate form and rufous in the named subspecies yunnanensis.
It uses moist montane forest, secondary growth, scrub, grass, and bamboo. It is usually seen in pairs or small groups, often with other species.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.