Small brownish babbler with a dull rufous cap and pale yellowish-brown (buff) underparts. Extremely similar in appearance to Rufous-capped Babbler, with which it overlaps in far southern China and far northern Indochina. Look out for Buff-chested’s buffier breast, a slightly less extensive rufous crown that fades away toward the back, very fine dark streaks on the crown, a shorter and slightly pinker bill, and extremely pale grayish eyebrows. Buff-chested forages in flocks in forests and forest edges with dense undergrowth; in Sumatra, often on slopes. Song is a series of piping toots, very similar to that of Rufous-capped Babbler, and often indistinguishable due to variation. Calls include an accelerated song and quiet chips. Inhabits open or sparse foothill and submontane forests and forest edges, favoring areas with a dense tangled understory.