This starling lives in dry bushland and wooded country in East Africa. Its recorded breeding and non-breeding areas differ, and it forages in small flocks in trees and bushes.
The crown, throat, and upper breast are glossy dark purple, the upperparts glossy blue, and the underparts dark rufous-brown. The eye is orange-red.
It uses semi-arid bushland and wooded country. Small flocks forage in bushes and trees and less often on the ground.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.