In the adult males the forehead, crown and nape are bluish black, there is a small white loral spot which extends into a long, broad, supercilium, there is a small white patch on the nape and the face mask is glossy black.

The underparts are white, except for a glossy black breast band and blackish underwing coverts.

[1] The natural habitats of the grey headed batis are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland and arid thornbush and semi desert scrub from sea level up to 2,100 m (6,900 ft), in Ethiopia.

The breeding biology is little known; the male may perform a courtship flight but this record may have referred to a pygmy batis.

The cup nest is made of bark strips and spider webs, concealed in the central fork of a thorn tree, in which 2–3 pale blue eggs are laid.