This bushshrike lives in forests of western and central Africa. It has several plumage forms, including birds with orange or red underparts.
Several color forms are known. One described form has a black eye stripe and grey hindcrown that grades into an olive back; the orange form has a white eyebrow, orange throat and breast, and yellow belly. In a scarlet form, the throat and breast are red; other forms are also described.
BirdLife lists lowland moist forest, montane moist forest, and swamp forest as habitat, with records also in heavily degraded former forest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.