Least Concern

Approx. 15 cm in length; weight commonly 14–20 g

Breeds in Himalayan foothills (and adjacent mountains) at higher elevations; migratory populations move from breeding areas

Winters in hill-forests of peninsular India (e.g., the Western Ghats) and Sri Lanka; also records of passage elsewhere in the subcontinent

Primarily May to July for many breeding populations (some variation by region)

Prefers dense undergrowth of moist forests (often near streams or ravines); nest is a ground or near-ground cup of vegetation (e.g., roots, moss, dead leaves) in a sheltered depression or slope; clutch size ~4 eggs

Moist broadleaf evergreen or mixed forest, bamboo undergrowth, dark ravines; breeding altitude ~1 600–3 300 m; in winter more moderate elevations in dense forest undergrowth

Insectivorous: forages primarily on the ground in leaf-litter and undergrowth, taking insects and their larvae; covert, skulking behaviour supports this diet