A ground jay of sandy deserts dotted with saxaul and shrubs. The Kazakhstan account describes differences in size and color between 2 subspecies.
The panderi subspecies is smaller and paler overall than ilensis, with fewer black spots on the breast.
In the Kazakhstan account it is a resident of sandy desert and nests in saxaul or other shrubs. Both parents feed the young.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.