Males sing from exposed branches during the breeding season, which can vary with region.

They are distinctive both in their calls as well as plumage with a white eyebrowed appearance and the rufous upperparts with regular dark bands and the whitish underside with fine striations.

The adults are bright rufous or bay on the head and back and are broadly barred with dark brown.

The iris is yellow and the bill is black while the base of the lower mandible is greenish grey.

[2] The juvenile is similar but has a pale lower mandible and white fringes to the feathers of the upper body.

The hepatic forms of those can be similar but supercilium, long beak and barred tail distinguish this species.

In Sri Lanka, young have been seen in June and October while adults sing from January to May in the Malay Peninsula.