This small bird is recorded in the Caatinga of northeastern Brazil. Males have small white patches near the eye, and the birds take grass seeds from the ground. Regional accounts describe shrubland near wet places and along dry-forest edges.
Males have a small white patch at the loral or infraloral area and a smaller white patch above the eye. The source describes the lower patch as either loral or infraloral.
In the Caatinga, it is recorded in shrubland near wet places and at dry-forest edges, and it takes grass seeds from the ground.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.