In appearance and lifestyle it resembles a forest horse . Body length 15-19 cm, wingspan 24-27 cm, weight 17-26 g.
In adults, males and females in mating attire have a greenish-olive body top; closer to mid-summer, the plumage of birds looks greenish-gray. On the upper side of the head there are blackish barreled strokes. On the back they are very narrow and fuzzy. The loin and the mantle are not mottled. The bottom of the body is white, with an ocher tinge in the throat and chest. On the sides of the body and on the chest, distinct black streaks are expressed. On the sides of the abdomen there is a weak olive plaque. There is a pronounced broad white, ocher closer to the beak eyebrow that distinguishes this type of ridge from other species. The brow is separated from the crown by a dark stripe. The upper wing coverts carry a whitish border. On the outer light borders of the feathers of the feathers there is a distinctive green tint that is absent in other types of skates. The central tail feathers are gray-brown in color, with a blurred greenish-olive border; the rest of the steering is blackish. Males and females are colored the same. In the autumn plumage of old and young birds, the ocher shade of the lower side is brighter. In young birds, the coloration is characterized by greater yellowness, and more noticeable streaks on the back. Juvenile birds are distinguished from other species by the presence of a bright olive-green border on the outer webs of the fly and tail feathers.
The song resembles the trill of a forest horse. The strict structure of the song is absent, there are many borrowed elements, often the song resembles the song of a forest horse, although it is often more energetic, beautiful and richer. Current flight is less frequent than a forest horse. Basically, the male sings while sitting on a tree or bush, sometimes flies from tree to tree. When anxious, the birds squeak "timp, tsip ...".
The range covers Eurasia from the eastern part of the Komi Republic and Cis-Ural to the valley of the Anadyr River , the Koryak Highlands, the Kamchatka Peninsula, the coasts of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan , as well as Sakhalin , the Kuril Islands and the Japanese Islands. To the north, the range extends to the borders of the taiga zone, to the south - to the north of Mongolia, China and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. An isolated nesting range is located in the Himalayas , mountains of the central and southern regions of China.
The wintering area of the species includes the territory of South Asia from Nepal and India to the south of the Japanese Islands , the Philippine Islands and northern Borneo.
In the European part of Russia, nesting species were recorded in the Perm Region and the Komi Republic; it can also be found northwest up to the White Sea coast . Mostly rare, sometimes ordinary migratory species.
It feeds on insects. In the European part of Russia flies in late May. In Siberia appears in mid-late May. Flies in September in small flocks. The lifestyle is similar to a forest horse. It inhabits forest edges, light taiga and mixed forests at altitudes of 900-2300 m above sea level. Settled by territorial couples. The nest is located on the ground, in a shallow hole under the grass or bushes. The nest is constructed from dry grass, roots and moss, often based on dry needles. The nest tray is lined with softer material, if possible with hair. In clutch, which is produced in June, usually 2-6, most often 4-5 eggs. The main color of the shell is whitish, pale purple or bluish, with spots and specks of reddish or brown color. Chicks in dark gray down, have an orange or orange-red pharynx, beak ridges are light yellow or almost white. They are fledged in late July - August.
