Adult male is plain gray above, bright yellow below, with necklace of black streaks on breast, bold pale eye ring, yellow throat and supraloral spot, black face fading into gray head, and white undertail coverts. Female is similar but slightly faded, with faint black streaks below, and lacks black on the face. Immatures have same general plumage but necklace is very faint, head markings are smudgy.

Length: 13 (cm) Wingspan: 20 (cm)

Voice:

Song is a jumble of clear, whistled notes, beginning with isolated chips and ending emphatically. Call is a dry chip note.

Habitat:

Dense secondary growth, swamps, undergrowth of mountain forests, damp woodlands. In migration and winter, uses a wide variety of forest types.

Behavior:

Occupies undergrowth and low branches, sometimes at ground level; somewhat skulky in dense vegetation. Nest is a woven cup on the ground, sheltered by vegetation or fallen logs.

Feeding:

Gleans foliage for insects, hopping along branches or in dense undergrowth. Occasionally eats fruit or sugar water.