Rufous-breasted Wood-Quails inhabit humid forest on the eastern Andes and forage on the ground in family groups. Adult males have rufous underparts, while female plumage differs among the populations described.
In the Ecuadorian subspecies, adult males have a finely black-mottled dark back, a black face, and a pale blue-gray eyebrow. Females of the Peruvian nominate form are described with gray underparts and rufous restricted to the upper breast.
Rufous-breasted Wood-quails inhabit Andean foothill forest. Around the Chingual River, which forms the Ecuador–Colombia border, their calls were heard from forested slopes. Related wood-quails differ in pitch and the spacing of sounds.
Between 12 and 18 May 2011, at least four groups were heard at 1,300–1,700 m on both sides of the river. Recordings from the Colombian bank provided the first confirmed record published for that country. Forest on either side supported the species.
Compared with Marbled and Chestnut Wood-quails, the recorded song was higher pitched and simpler, with clear spaces between phrases. Although closer to Dark-backed Wood-quail in sound, its notes were more widely spaced. These differences documented the bird through sound in dense forest.
IUCN Red List (BirdLife listing) · Least Concern · Global
BirdLife lists Least Concern globally. The 2011 report described steep, largely intact forest around the Chingual River. Retaining forest on both sides of the border and continuing records at known localities can support regional habitat conservation.