This accentor lives in scrub on arid mountains and semi-deserts. The China account records it in Ningxia's Helan Mountains and Inner Mongolia; its sandy plumage is streaked with black.
The upperparts are buff-brown, with fine dark streaks on the crown and broader streaking on the back. The belly is pale, with faint dark mottling on the breast and throat.
It lives in sparse scrub on arid mountains and semi-deserts. It is described as shy and skulking, usually staying in cover and calling infrequently.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.