This small tapaculo lives year-round in the Andean-Patagonian forest of northwestern Patagonia. It uses humid forest, forest transitions, and dense marsh vegetation.
About 10 cm long, it is plumbeous gray and sometimes has a white spot on the forehead. The flanks and belly are dark brown, helping distinguish it from larger tapaculos.
It is resident and usually solitary. This shy bird makes short flights among fallen trunks, leaf litter, and low vegetation. It nests in holes in trunks, roots, and banks.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.