This long-tailed ovenbird lives in the understory of humid Andean forests. The account describes four regional forms, so the nominate form's color is distinguished from variation elsewhere.
The nominate form is bright rufous, with dark lores and a long pointed tail. Regional forms, including the Perijá population, are paler, so plumage varies geographically.
It moves through the understory of humid, mossy montane forest in pairs or family groups, searching for food from the ground to low branches. It is also recorded in bamboo in secondary forest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.