Characterization: Species measuring about 13.5 cm in length. It has a thick beak and a relatively short tail. This bird's upper parts are dark gray, it has a black cap, its back has a hidden white, and its lower parts are brownish; the female has lighter rufous shades on its lower parts, and a dark gray cap.

Distribution: From eastern Pará and from the northeast to Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso, also in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru, from Costa Rica to Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina, and throughout Brazil.

Habitat: It stands out in the vegetation, and enjoys perching on branches exposed above the riparian forest, savanna and dry forest, as well as just below the canopy and in the woods.

Habits: It lives in couples and, occasionally, in family groups. It associates with mixed flocks.

Diet: They look for invertebrates and berries in isolation and lurk for insects in motion.

Breeding: The nest, usually hanging, calls one's attention from a distance for being a large construction made with plant fibers, with an entrance on its side, and an oviposition chamber located at the top. The male sometimes helps build the nest, but only the female hatches the eggs, which may be olive-green, light brown or gray with blackish-brown spots on them. The hatching period is probably 18 or 19 days, and the chicks are fed by the couple.

In the UFRA area: Species present in all habitats existing in the San Francisco Sugarmill farms.