This small bird is recorded locally in the eastern Andean foothills. In Peru, it has been found in tall grass along rivers and oxbow lakes, and males and females have different plumage.
The male is all black, with a thick black bill and a white wing speculum. The female is dark brown and has a blackish bill.
It forages in tall grass growing along rivers and oxbow lakes.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.