A rare and difficult to see inhabitant of subtropical and lower temperate forests of the three Andean ranges between 500 to 2200 meters, overlapping with the much higher Tawny-breasted Tinamou (Nothocercus julius – 1800 to 3500 meters) only at the 1800-2200 meter range. Widely distributed from Costa Rica and Panama to nw Venezuela and Colombia south into Perú, but nowhere common.

This image of a close encounter was taken at Cerro Montezuma when the bird was calmly crossing the road at mid-elevation.