This antbird has a dark head and rufous-brown tail. In southeastern Brazil's montane forest, it searches among bamboo and vines for insects.
Males have a black head and rufous flight and tail feathers. Females have a browner head pattern than males.
It forages in pairs or small groups at low levels, searching for insects among bamboo, vine tangles and shrubs.
It advances in a zigzag by short hops, repeatedly pausing to scan its surroundings while foraging.
The female has a rufous-brown crown and nape streaked with black, and buff cheeks, throat and underparts with faint dark marks toward the front.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.