The Red-tailed Minla lives in forest canopies, often joining small or mixed flocks. Its red tail is distinctive, and the sexes differ in plumage.
The male has a black head with a long white eyebrow, a brown back, black wings with white tips and red edges, and a crimson tail. Its throat is white and its underside pale yellow. The female is similar but has an olive-brown back and paler red and yellow tones.
It is arboreal and joins mixed flocks in forest canopies. It searches among foliage for insects and larvae, with seeds and other plant matter also in its diet.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.