Males combine black, white, and chestnut, while females have a gray-brown head with a chestnut back and tail. This canary moves through arid scrub following rain and seeding events.
In the Black-headed group, the male has black extending from the nape to the breast spurs, mixed with chestnut and white. In the Damara group, the black areas are mixed with white. Females have a gray-brown head and chestnut back and tail.
It is resident but nomadic in arid scrub, following rain and seeding events. During breeding it occurs in pairs and small groups; outside that season it may form flocks of up to 200 and mix with other species.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.