The Fringe-backed Fire-eye is endemic to a very small area of north-east Brazil. It is known only from a few highly fragmented areas of lowland forest and secondary woodland in Bahia and Sergipe. It is classified as Endangered by Birdlife International.

The male is black with a red eye and a large white dorsal patch which looks like that photo of a drop of milk landing and spreading outwards. The female, seen in photo 5, is brown above, buffy-brown below with a black tail.