A large pale wheatear. Gray-brown above with warm orangish tones on white underparts and a pale white eyebrow. Tail is predominantly black with white edges and it contrasts sharply with its snow-white rump. Somewhat similar in coloration to a toned-down female Northern Wheatear, but visibly larger, shorter-tailed, and longer-billed (all of which are accentuated by the typically tall, erect posture). Inhabits flat, open areas, often at middle to high elevations. Remarkable song has a tumbling quality that includes long ringing whistles, chattering, and imitations of other sounds in the surrounding environment. Calls include shorter whistles and hard “chak’s,” like rocks being struck together.