The Subtropical Cacique occurs in the Andes from northwestern Venezuela through Colombia and Ecuador to southern Peru. It is recorded in the western and central Colombian Andes and at scattered sites along the eastern slope.
Its plumage is black, with red on the lower back and rump. This Andean bird differs slightly from its lowland relatives in bill size and shape.
A Colombian field report published in 2003 explicitly identified the montane C. uropygialis at El Talisman. Observers saw and heard flocks of up to 15 birds; the commonest call was a two-syllable whistle.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.