In southern African accounts, this small bird uses scrub and savanna woodland. It has a rufous rump and upper tail coverts, a streaked breast and white wing markings. Older sources retain the combination Erythropygia leucophrys.
A southern African field-guide description notes a rufous rump and upper tail coverts, a distinctly streaked breast and white wing markings.
In the South African part of its range, it forages on the ground, flicking through leaf litter for prey and digging for termites. It also uses valley bushveld and savanna woodland.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.