This babbler lives in forest and surrounding habitats on Sulawesi. Its plumage varies geographically, and it forages close to the ground with a running movement.
It has a strong gray bill and a thin malar whisker. Plumage varies geographically, from rufous upperparts with whitish underparts to gray-brown upperparts with rufous underparts.
It uses habitats from primary broadleaf forest to cultivated areas near settlements, but is denser in forest. This shy bird forages close to the ground, running like a mouse.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.