Fairly small woodcreeper with a thin, slightly downcurved bill. Extensive streaking on the undersides but almost no streaking on the head or back; when viewed from the back, appears very plain. Olive-brown back and head, often noticeably slightly greener than the rest of the bird. Found mostly in secondary forest, with tall trees and a dense understory. Its song is a descending series of fast whistles, recalling the longer song of White-browed Antbird, or for some, the call of Downy Woodpecker.