This small bird is marked by a white crown and a dark facial band. It breeds in Central Asia and moves south for winter.
The crown is white, and the black facial mask continues as a band around the nape. A chestnut band marks the mantle. In females, the mask is more diffuse and the chestnut on the upper mantle is reduced.
It feeds mainly on insects and their larvae, and also takes spiders and seeds. It searches for food in willows and poplars and may form small flocks outside the breeding season.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.