Least Concern

About 13–15 cm in length. It has a dark brown or blackish forehead and crown, contrasting with rufous or chestnut upperparts and paler underparts. The eyes are strikingly reddish or crimson.

Resident species — does not migrate. Found year-round within its range.

Not a migratory bird; remains within its local territory throughout the year.

Generally February to September, varying with region. Builds a ball-shaped nest with a side entrance made of leaves and grasses, hidden close to the ground. Usually lays 2–4 eggs.

Found breeding in thick undergrowth, bamboo clumps, and low bushes within forest edges or scrublands.

Prefers dense scrub, secondary forests, bamboo thickets, and forest undergrowth — particularly in moist deciduous and evergreen forests of peninsular and southern India, Sri Lanka, and parts of the Western Ghats.

Feeds mainly on small insects, spiders, and other invertebrates. Forages actively in pairs or small groups close to the ground, constantly hopping and flicking through foliage.