A long-tailed, upright shrike with black upperparts, a bold white bar on the wing, and yellow-buff underparts. Juvenile is brownish and barred. Very rare; the only resident shrike on São Tomé and the only fiscal that occurs in forest. Singles and pairs forage at middle levels and in the understory of undisturbed lowland and mid-altitude forest, where they are surprisingly secretive. Song is an unusual incessant ringing “teeeew” uttered once a second for about 30–60 seconds; also gives a more typical shrike-like grating “ker-ker-ker.” The similar-looking Common Fiscal does not co-occur.