This tapaculo was described from Colombia’s upper Magdalena Valley. Its plumage resembles close relatives, while distinctive vocalizations and genetic differences supported its recognition as a separate species.
The head, back, wings, and tail are blackish gray, with a brown-barred rump. The underparts are dark gray, with brown barring on the flanks. The description says song is more useful than plumage for separating it from close relatives.
It moves inconspicuously in dense understory at or within about 50 cm of the ground, and is often heard but rarely seen. The stomach contents of three specimens held only small insects, chiefly beetles. About 20 pairs or territorial males were estimated along a roughly 1 km transect at Merenberg Reserve.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.