Huge for a parrotbill, closer in size to a medium-sized thrush. Brown with a bright orange bill and a silvery-white forehead. Found in mid- to high-elevation broadleaf forests, often in close proximity to bamboo and rhododendron stands. Song consists of two short, hard notes followed by a wheezing whistle: "br-chr-weehhhrrr!" Calls include burry chattering, squealing, and distinctive fluting whistles. Joins laughingthrushes, babblers, and other medium-sized skulkers in mixed-species flocks.