This weaver occurs patchily in central and eastern Africa, using swampy grassland and nearby cultivated areas. The male's tail and plumage change with breeding phase.
A breeding male is almost wholly black, with a very long tail and a bright orange shoulder patch. The non-breeding male has a shorter brown tail; females lack the shoulder patch and have sandier underparts.
It inhabits swampy grassland and adjacent cultivated areas. Small groups forage mostly for grass seeds, insects, and small fruit.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.