It forages in rocky Andean scrub. In many subspecies, the back is brown, the underside is pale, and the flanks and vent are rufous.
Most subspecies are brown above and whitish below, with rufous flanks and vent. The dark tail has rufous or pale outer feathers.
It forages in Andean scrub among rocks and boulders.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.