Male has a black forehead, face, and chest, whereas the female has pale gray underparts.

Similar to Bar-bellied cuckooshrike, but smaller, lacking the barring on the belly, with white on the wing.

Occurs singly, in small groups or with mixed-species flocks of other medium sized birds like Visayan cuckooshrike.

Nest is undescribed but supposedly recorded 20 meters above the ground on a forked branch.

The IUCN Red List has assessed this bird as vulnerable with the population being estimated at 6,000 to 15,000 mature individuals.

Its main threat is habitat destruction through both legal and Illegal logging, conversion into farmlands through Slash-and-burn, charcoal burning, and mining.

Encourage careful reforestation activities around remaining forests with emphasis on native trees.