The largest Sylvia warbler in Extremadura, it has greyish plumage with a blackish mask, dark grey crown and striking pale eye. It prefers Holm oak dehesas and open woodland at lower altitudes, where it can be difficult to see but easy to detect by its song. It feeds on insects in spring and small berries and fruits in the autumn. It breeds in Extremadura, leaving in mid-September to spend the winter in Africa.