Breeding male White-winged Widowbirds are black, with yellow and white shoulder patches and conspicuous white wing panels in flight. The species feeds on grass seeds and other foods in grassland.
A breeding male is black with a blue-gray bill and yellow-and-white shoulder patches. White panels show on the wings in flight.
Outside the breeding season, birds may forage in flocks with other seed eaters. Grass seeds are the main food, with nectar and insects also eaten. During breeding, the male defends a territory while the female incubates the eggs and feeds the chicks.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.