This small antbird inhabits Amazonian lowland forest, especially in northeastern Peru. It searches for food along stream edges and within the forest.
It is about 11.5 cm long. The male has a brown crown and nape, black upperparts with white spots and cream wing bars, a black throat, a white breast with black streaks, and rufous flanks. The female has a white throat.
It forages inside forest, especially along stream edges. Species accounts place it in the understory of humid lowland forest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.