This bird searches trees along dry rivers for insects and small geckos. A Namibian subspecies has coppery and violet iridescence on its mantle feathers.
In the Namibian subspecies, mantle feathers show coppery and violet iridescence that changes with the angle of light.
It probes cracks in large trees along dry rivers for beetle larvae, termites and other insects, as well as small geckos. It lives in groups with a breeding pair and helpers.
IUCN Red List · Least Concern (LC) · Global
A 2015 Namibian assessment classed the species as Endangered (EN), estimated about 1,850 birds, and described the trend as stable to declining.