The pictorella mannikin is a grey-billed, buff-brown and grey finch with a distinctive white scaly breast and black face disc.

[7] Holotypes held in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia are Lectotype ANSP 14546, an adult a male from the north-west coast of Australia and Paralectotype ANSP 14547, an adult female from the north-west coast of Australia.

Munia is a common name used in Asia for many finches, perhaps derived from a Hindi word for seed eating birds.

[10][11] Pectoralis derives from the Latin pectoris for the breast but also evoking the Old French word pectorale meaning breastplate which reflects the white scalloped bib on this bird.

[4] In northern Australia they often forage on recently burnt ground, open grassy woodland and fringes of wetland.