This small barbet is known only from the eastern slope of Peru’s Cerros del Sira. Its description paper reported three localities at 950–1,250 m and mainly describes paired birds foraging in the canopy.
Red covers the crown and nape, forms a breast band, and extends across the flanks. The eyebrow and throat are white, while the face and wings are black; the lower belly is yellowish. Females have red and yellow in the shoulder feathers, while males lack those colors there and have more saturated red on the crown and flanks.
It moved slowly through the canopy and subcanopy; most records were of pairs. Stomach contents were largely plant matter, probably fruit, with a few insects. The species was generally quiet, though distinctive Tityra-like grunts helped reveal individuals.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.