A medium-sized, long-tailed bird of lowland swamp forest and mangroves. Blackish plumage with short white eye-brow, white patch on the side of the throat and prominent white tail tips. Also white-spotted chest and wing bars. Very secretive and difficult to see. Stays low to the ground with tail often cocked and fanned. Similar to White-bellied Thicket-Fantail, but Black lacks the white belly. Also similar to Sooty Thick-Fantail but Black has the white tail tips. Voice, a rising, tinkling, metallic song followed by “wi-chew!”.