The mustache, also known as mustache, papa-grass, little star or leafhopper (Minas Gerais), careta, gola-grimace, caretinha or mustache (Ceará), occurs practically throughout Brazil. It is locally common in shrub clearings, plantations, brushwood edges and areas with tall grasses, especially near water. Its habitat is open fields, cultivated fields and capoeiras. Due to its singing, it is a prized bird and capture for illegal trade, along with environmental changes, ended up reducing its numbers in a large part of the country, especially in the Northeast.