This brood-parasitic whydah ranges from Upper and Lower Guinea through northeastern Zaire, now northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Payne (1991) links its distribution with the Red-winged Pytilia (Pytilia phoenicoptera) and reports song phrases by a captive male that matched the host’s songs and calls.
The breeding male has long central tail feathers that remain broad near the tip. In Payne’s (1991) detailed account, the central rectrices of a captive male measured 304 mm; the nape and breast were dark brownish red and the belly pale yellow. The female description came from a tentative identification of a bird of unknown origin housed in a pet shop with a male.
Payne (1991) describes the species as brood-parasitic and says its distribution is associated with the foster species, the Red-winged Pytilia. A captive male produced phrases identical to that host’s songs and calls recorded in the field and captivity, although the host was absent from the aviary. This documents song mimicry, not a direct observation of a wild nest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.