The rufous-necked wood rail has rich rufous plumage, olive-brown upperparts, and a gray patch on the upper back. In northwestern Peru it is fairly common in mangroves.
Its plumage is rich rufous, with olive-brown upperparts and a gray patch on the upper back. The tail and vent are black.
It is active by day and lives on the ground, using mangroves, coastal wetlands, and dense forest undergrowth. Compiled species data class it as feeding on invertebrates around aquatic ground habitats.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.