A large warbler that is remarkably bulbul-like, pale gray-buff below and olive-brown above with an orange-pink bill and a black cap that extends below the eye. The juvenile is duller. Pairs and small groups are residents and partial altitudinal migrants in forest and forest edge, especially in clumps of ouhout (Leucosidea) and sagewood (Buddleja). The species breeds September to March at elevations above 900 meters, moving lower in winter (May to August). The song is remarkably bulbul-like, but is richer, sweeter, and more complex.