Formerly placed in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae, it is now separated with some other "odd flycatchers" as the new family Stenostiridae (Beresford et al. 2005, Fuchs et al. 2006).

Stenostira scita is a common seasonal migrant, breeding in karoo scrub and fynbos in the southern highlands, and migrating north in to spend the southern winter in thorn scrub at lower altitudes.

The adult is pale grey above with a black mask through the eye and a white supercilium.

The fairy flycatcher is monogamous unless its mate dies, when it will seek a new partner.

It feeds on small insects and other invertebrates, foraging in the foliage like a warbler.