This beautiful endemic tanager belongs to the fabulous Bangsia subset of Mountain Chocó endemics, all together with the Black-and-gold (Bangsia melanochlamys), Moss-backed (B. edwardsi) and Golden-Chested (B. rothschildi) Tanagers.

Once thought to be extinct, it can be found at well preserved & very humid mountain forests of Cerro Montezuma in the municipality of Pueblo Rico (Risaralda) or at Paso Galápagos (municipality of El Cairo) between 1700 -2100m.