A strongly barred gray-brown waxbill with a pinkish wash, a red bill, and a black “bandit’s” eye-patch. Known only from the upper Lualaba River and Lake Upemba in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where pairs and small flocks prefer grassy plains with tall grasses and bushes. Enigmatic, it has not been seen since 1950 and the vocalizations are unknown. Its taxonomic status is disputed.