This rare species is endemic to the Western Ghats of Southern India. It inhabits marshy grasslands of the hilly areas, at the heights of 1,000m-2,300m. It mostly forages on seeds of the creeping grasses of the valleys. It breeds during February-June. It mostly remains solitary or in pairs (BirdLife International 2016). 
 

This species is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/)

According to the IUCN Red List Assessment, the population of this species is declining, with the current population estimate of 2,500-9,999 individuals. The threat to its persistence comes from habitat disturbance due to tea plantation and overgrazing for the domestic livestock (BirdLife International 2016).