This ground-dwelling bird is endemic to central Chile. It lives in semi-arid shrubland, and the two described subspecies occupy different parts of its range.
It has reddish-brown plumage finely barred from throat to abdomen, a pale eyebrow, and strong dark legs.
It often runs quickly on the ground and may perch on a rock with its tail raised, giving a distinctive call. It nests in vegetated rock cavities or old burrows and eats insects, seeds, fruits, and small reptiles.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.