A fairly small, long-tailed bird of montane forest. Male has black upperparts, gray underparts with white tufts on the sides and white in the base of the outer tail feathers. Female is olive, with yellowish tufts on the sides and a dotted bar in the base of the outer tail feathers. Female is similar to female Papuan Whipbird, but Fan-tailed Berrypecker has a paler belly, side streak, white in the tail, and pale around the base of the bill. Voice, a repeated, falling, nasal “weh!” and a high-pitch clicking call.