This small bird is restricted to a limited part of the northern Peruvian Andes. It searches for food in Polylepis woodland and nearby scrub.
The back and tail are grey. The black head has a long, broad white eyebrow and broad white cheek stripes. The throat and central underside are white, with a variable amount of rufous on the breast and flanks.
It is generally associated with Polylepis woodland, but also searches for food in nearby shrubs, especially stands containing Gynoxys.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.