This tapaculo occurs on the eastern Andean slope from Peru to Bolivia. Its grey plumage can include rufous flanks and rump, and it forages near the ground in humid highland forest and scrub.
The plumage is mostly mouse-grey, sometimes with rufous flanks and rump; the short tail is held cocked. Females are more rufous and juveniles are brown and barred.
It forages on or close to the ground in humid montane forest, scrub and Polylepis woodland near treeline, with records around 2,900–4,300 m. Similar tapaculos and poor light can make visual identification difficult, so vocalizations are useful.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.