Medium-sized antbird with a long rusty tail and rusty wings. Found in the understory of dense humid forests with bamboo. Males have a black crested crown and a well-marked face with a black mask and a long white eyebrow. The face, breast, and back are spotted black and white while the rest of the body is rusty. Females differ in having a brownish crown with black streaks and are buffy on the breast, and nape with faint streaks and tawny buff below.