A small, brownish bird with a thick, rounded tail. Note the black bill, the gray underparts, and the contrasting darker gray sides of the breast. The buff-breasted morph is less common and lacks any gray. Inhabits alpine scrub in the summer. Possibly winters lower down in the plains. The song consists of short clicks and buzzes. Extremely similar to Spotted Bush Warbler; the West Himalayan Bush Warbler is slightly paler, but best told apart by range and song.