Robust thrush, adult male unmistakable: dark slate-gray (black from a distance) overall, with an elegant, curving white eyebrow. Female is dark brown with a scaly pattern on the face and underparts; immature male is similar but replaces the female's brown with dark gray and has a grizzled whitish face. A shy and retiring bird, seldom leaving dense cover. Prefers well-shaded, damp areas of mid-elevation forests for breeding; winters in hill and montane forests. Forages mostly on the ground. Males sing from high perches, giving a series of throaty two-note whistles.