It gets its name from the prominent white supercilium, which has a black line separating it from the bare grayish skin around the eye.

The adult plumage is overall blackish brown, with prominent white streaks on the upper wing.

It inhabits several dry forest types including open angical, caatinga, restinga, and sometimes campo rupestre grassland.

[4] The white-browed guan's movement pattern has not been studied but it is assumed to be sedentary but for short-range travel for food and water.

[4] The IUCN originally assessed the white-browed guan as Threatened but since 2004 has classed it as Vulnerable.