This tapaculo occurs in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador. It uses the dense understory of humid montane forest and forages close to the ground.
It is about 12 cm long. Males are blackish grey above and grey below, with brown, dark-barred flanks and rump.
It forages for small invertebrates close to the ground in dense understory of humid montane forest. It is often heard more readily than seen.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.