This small bird ranges widely across Africa. Breeding males vary in plumage and bill color among regional forms, and they mimic the songs of their firefinch hosts.
Breeding males vary among regional forms: plumage may be green or blue, purple, or steel-blue. Bills may be white or red, and the legs range from orange to red.
It forages on the ground for grass seeds and termites and lays its eggs mainly in Red-billed Firefinch nests. Males imitate the songs of their host birds.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.