This small antwren lives in the canopy and edges of montane evergreen forest in Central and South America. The male has a black head, pale eyebrow, olive back, and rufous rump.
The male of subspecies callinota has a black crown and nape, a whitish eyebrow, an olive back, and a cinnamon-rufous rump.
It occurs in the canopy and edges of montane evergreen forest at about 600–2,400 m. Food information is limited; beetles, spiders, and larvae are listed.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.