This Inca finch occurs in Peru’s middle and upper Marañón drainage. Its grey head, black face, and broad buff cheek stripes are distinctive.
It has a rufous mantle and grey wings. A black face is bordered by broad buff cheek stripes; the bill and legs are bright orange, and the outer tail feathers are white.
It forages on or near the ground in deciduous forest and scrub. The account places it mainly at 1,000–2,700 m in the Marañón drainage.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.