This small tapaculo lives in the understory of humid Andean forests. It is about 11.5 cm long and searches for food in bamboo, alone or in pairs.
Adults are dark gray; females are paler, with reddish bars on the flanks and rump. Juveniles are dark with brown bars. The tail is relatively short and often held upright.
It forages in bamboo understory alone or in pairs. Ecuadorian records also place it in humid forest undergrowth with Chusquea bamboo or Neurolepis cane.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.