This foliage-gleaner ranges from eastern Central America into northern South America and the western Amazon. In current taxonomy it is separate from two closely related species with which it was formerly grouped.
The male nominate form has a dark brownish face and a bold buff eye-ring.
It is reported from tropical evergreen cloud forest, secondary growth, and coffee plantations. The account gives observation elevations from 914 m in Costa Rica to 2,012 m in Peru.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.