This brush finch lives in forests of Costa Rica and western Panama. Its 1907 description noted the olive back and yellow wing bend as differences from a close relative.
The 1907 description says adult birds have a clearer olive-green back than the related Arremon assimilis and a brighter yellow bend of wing.
It occurs in montane and lowland evergreen forest, secondary forest, and elfin forest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.