It is found in West and Central Africa from Sierra Leone to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

[1] The male is dark blue and the female is dark gray with chestnut-colored patches on the wings, visible in flight.

Not a very noisy bird, this starling's vocalizations include shrill chirps, cries, and whistles.

This bird is a colony-nester, making its nest high up in dead trees in holes originally excavated by colonial cavity-nesting barbets, sometimes with both birds nesting in close proximity.

Eggs are pale blue-gray with brown spots.