This forest-associated bird is endemic to southern Malawi, where it is recorded on the Mulanje, Malosa, and Zomba massifs. A study on Mulanje found it using forest edges with understorey shrubs.
It has a slender body with olive-green underparts. Its bright yellow throat and breast are crossed by a narrow black bar.
During a breeding-season survey on Mt. Mulanje, it was recorded in forest-edge patches, including very small forest patches. The study found a preference for edges with a shrub layer.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.