Pyrrhula owstoni occurs only in Taiwan. The Ministry of Agriculture’s bird guide describes it as a resident of Taiwan’s mid- and high-elevation mountains, commonly using conifer forest.
The male is mouse-grey on the back, throat, breast, flanks, and belly; the flanks may be orange, with the amount varying among individuals. The female is pale reddish-brown across those areas. Both sexes have a black triangular mark from the base of the bill toward the eye, a black tail, and white undertail coverts.
In Taiwan it commonly uses conifer forests in the middle and higher mountains. Birds often move in pairs or small groups and use conifer crowns, shrubs, and the ground.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.