Within southern Africa, this exotic-looking Vidua is found predominantly but sparsely in Zimbabwe, and spills into the Zambezi region along the Chobe and Zambezi riverine woodlands, where its reporting rate is a mere 4%. It brood parasitises the Orange-winged Pytilia (Golden-backed Pytilia) Pytilia afra, an erratically occurring species rarely observed in north-east Namibia. This may explain the bird's sudden appearance in other parts of southern Africa where it has not been seen before, displaying and probably breeding.