This tinamou occurs on the Altiplano and nearby high slopes. A Bolivia species account describes groups of about five to ten birds using open grassland and rocky ground.
The ochre head has dark streaks and pale lines above and below the eye that extend toward the neck. The bluish-gray back is spotted reddish brown, and the belly and legs are rufous.
It uses open grassland, gravelly or rocky Puna, high ravines and rocky outcrops in bogs. In Bolivia it is often seen in groups of about five to ten.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.