This small estrildid finch occurs in East Africa from southern Ethiopia through Kenya to central Tanzania. It lives in dry scrub and grassland, feeding on grass seeds.
It is about 11 cm long, with a bluish-grey head spotted white on the forehead, face and upper throat, a brown back and white rump.
It uses dry acacia thorn scrub, grassland, riverine trees and open woodland. Small grass and herb seeds are its main food; it also takes small insects when feeding young.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.