The Sahel bush sparrow is a small bird with a large, conical beak and a short tail.

The male has a grey crown, a wide but ill-defined reddish-brown supercilium and greyish-brown face and throat, surrounding the creamy-white bib.

The upper throat has an ill-defined yellowish spot and the breast is creamy-buff, becoming whiter on the belly.

[2] This bush sparrow is found in suitable habitat in a broad belt across the Sahel region of Africa, its range extending from Senegal to Eritrea and Yemen.

Its habitat is typically semi-arid savannah with scattered trees and cultivated clearings near settlements, at altitudes up to about 1,700 m (5,600 ft).