Small black-and-white bird with a patch of bright red bare skin above the eye. Males have a black hood, and females a white throat and black breast band. Found in forest, thick woodland, and mangroves. Generally local and uncommon. The unmusical song is usually given as a duet: a mix of low-pitched rasping notes and higher bleating notes. Similar to Brown-throated Wattle-eye but never shows white in the wing, and the female has a white rather than brown throat. Separated from batises by the red wattle and lack of white in the wing.