A standard Scytalopus tapaculo: plain blackish (darker than many other tapaculos) with browner flanks and rump. Distinctive white crown can be difficult to see. Acts like a mouse, scurrying around on or near the ground within montane forest. Very difficult to see. Occurs in the Andes from Venezuela to Peru, from around 900-1,800m. Far more often heard than seen. Listen for its rapid series of froglike notes.