Its scientific name honours South African ornithologist Thomas Ayres.

They are generally tiny, short-tailed, streaky, and brown in color.

The display consists of whistled notes, which can be down-then-up or on an even pitch, interspersed with wing snaps, which sometimes continue as the bird dives to the ground.

They are very similar to other small, short-tailed cisticolas, especially in non-breeding plumage, but are best distinguished by voice.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.