This bird occurs in the rocky uplands and open grasslands of southern Africa. Some current accounts use the genus combination Myrmecocichla.
Males occur in different plumage forms. In the paler form, a white rump and white outer tail feathers are conspicuous.
It is recorded on rocky hills and mountain grassland, as well as in adjacent open, dry country. Diet and breeding details are not generalized beyond the accounts consulted here.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.