A small rail that moves through grass. It has mottled upperparts and bold black-and-white bars visible in flight.
The dark upperparts are streaked olive-brown; the flanks and belly have black-and-white bars. The sexes look similar.
It uses grassy cover and moves seasonally in some parts of its range. Its barred underparts are conspicuous in flight.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.