Small, chunky songbird. Brown overall with a pale throat, thick pinkish bill, and a black-bordered white supercilium that is buff-tinged in front. The smaller Dusky Warbler has brownish tinge toward the back of the brow. The similar Yellow-streaked Warbler is a grayer shade of brown, has a clean white supercilium, and has different vocalizations. Favors open taiga forest and forest edge for breeding, often in wet brushy thickets or along streams. Sings from both exposed and hidden perches, giving a ringing trill with several variations. Difficult to detect on the wintering grounds, where it skulks in dense vegetation in both wet and dry areas; listen for its frequently repeated “chuk” and “pit” calls.