A slim, long-tailed, pretty waxbill. The upperparts are pale brown, the underparts and tail blue, and the bill pink. Males have an almost completely blue head, while females have a brown crown and back of the neck. Found in dry thorn savanna and thorn scrub, often in small flocks, sometimes with other waxbills, including other cordonbleus. In the areas of overlap, females are easily confused with Southern and Red-cheeked Cordonbleus, but separated by their brighter pinkish bill. The common call is a high-pitched “tzee-tzee.”