Its dark body is set off by a long, slender, curved bill. It probes gaps in trees and plants and feeds mainly on small invertebrates.
It is about 24 cm long, with a slender bill about 6 cm long. The dark bill curves like a sickle when seen from the side.
It probes tree holes and crevices, holes made by small animals in bamboo, and gaps in bromeliads. It eats mainly insects and other small invertebrates; small amphibians have also been recorded as prey.
At one nest found in Argentina in2013, two eggs lay in a tree cavity lined with bark and leaves.
At that nest, two adults took turns incubating the eggs.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.