This whistler occurs in the southern Philippines and on Malaysia's Siamil Island. The sexes look alike, with rufous-brown upperparts and white underparts.
The upperparts are rufous-brown, with a slightly darker head. The chin and throat are white; the upper breast is washed with cinnamon, while the lower breast and belly are white. The sexes look alike.
It lives in moist lowland and montane forest from sea level to 2,000 m and feeds on insects. It is sometimes seen in mixed flocks; breeding has been recorded in September.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.