The male is deep red and black, while the female is red and olive brown. It searches for small seeds on the ground and uses savanna, grassland, and cultivated areas.
The male is deep scarlet from the head through the throat and upper flanks, with a black back, wings, and belly and a blue-black bill. The female has a bright red head and olive-brown back, wings, and underparts.
It feeds mainly on small seeds on the ground. It also takes termites and other small insects.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.