A study in Brazil's Atlantic Forest recorded this hermit visiting open flowers of the bromeliad Vriesea incurvata; visit frequency changed with plant density. It generally feeds on nectar and arthropods in the forest understory.
It has olive upperparts, greyish underparts, and dark throat feathers that create a scaly look. The tail feathers have broad white tips.
In the Atlantic Forest understory, it visits flowers of the bromeliad Vriesea incurvata. A study found that its visit rate changed with the number of plants in a plot.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.