The plumage coloration resembles that of dried leaves and the bird roosts quietly on branches, making it difficult to see.

The male has a brownish-gray wing mirror and yellowish spots on the undersides, compared to gray or white in the nominate Sri Lankan form.

[10] When alarmed at its perch, it slowly moves its head, pointing its bill upward, and it can easily be mistaken for a jagged, broken branch.

[3] It is vocal at dusk, the call of the female being a loud, screechy "shkeerauuw" which drops in volume and ends is a series of hiccups.

[3] The breeding season in southern India is January to April, and in Sri Lanka February to March.

The nest is a small pad made of moss lined with down and covered on the outside with lichens and bark.

The bird incubates a single white egg, covering the nest and holding the tail flush with the tree, taking on the outline of a lichen-covered snag.