The Sooty-capped Hermit has olive plumage, strong white facial lines, and a distinctive orange-rufous rump. In Venezuela it uses forest edges and undergrowth, with records of nesting in buildings.
Its plumage is olive, with strong white facial lines and a long tail that is usually white-tipped. The orange-rufous rump and upper-tail coverts are described as distinctive species characters.
In montane areas it uses undergrowth, forest edges from dry to moist natural forest, secondary growth, and pasture. Venezuelan records describe birds entering houses and other buildings to search for small insects, spiders, and spider silk; sheltered structures have also held hanging nests.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.