EBird describes the bird as "A medium-sized bird of foothill and lower montane forest with a white throat and belly, brown upperparts, darker wings and tail, a black mask, a gray crown, and pale brown sides broadly streaked white.

Similar to Stripe-sided Rhabdornis, but usually found at higher elevations, and has a shorter, thicker bill and a crown that is gray rather than streaked white.

[3] The grand rhabdornis (R. grandis) of Luzon Island is sometimes regarded as a subspecies, but usually now considered a distinct species as well.

Typically forages in groups of up to 10 individuals but a large flock of 100 birds has been spotted during an termete larvae emergence.

It is affected by habitat loss through deforestation, mining, land conversion and slash-and-burn - just not to the same extent as lowland forest.