It is 11.5–13 cm long. In Bolivia's eastern Andes, it lives in pairs or small flocks, and Bolivian subspecies differ in crown, cheek, and eye color.
The Birds of Bolivia account gives a body length of 11.5–13 cm.
In Bolivia it is common on the eastern Andean slope and foothills. It often joins mixed flocks as a core species and forages for arthropods and fruit.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.