The ornithologist Alfred John North described the banded whiteface as Xerophila nigricincta in 1895, from specimens collected at Missionary Plains, Northern Territory.

The face has a white mask bordered by a darker band which runs vertically across the region of the eyes.

[5] Like the other birds in its genus, the banded whiteface hops over open ground in pairs or small groups foraging for seeds and insects.

Located on the ground near shrubs, the round hollow nest is constructed of twigs and grass and has a long tubular entrance.

[6] The banded whiteface has been reported to enter torpor at night in winter months, reawakening as it warms in the morning.