Most records are from montane regions, near streams in primary forest habitats, at 1,000-2,500 m (Collins 1980, del Hoyo et al. 1999). Occasional records from lowlands suggest that it may descend to lower elevations during foraging trips (Seitz 2020). It nests and roosts in permanently humid areas (e.g. behind waterfalls) in rocky gorges of mountain streams (Collins 1980, Stiles and Skutch 1989, Marín and Stiles 1993). It feeds on insects (Seitz 2020).

Cypseloides cherriei is known from scattered, disjunct sites in southern Central America and northern South America. In Costa Rica it is mainly recorded from the Pacific slope of the Cordillera Central and Cordillera de Talamanca (Seitz 2020). In Panama it is found in the west, with some additional records from Darién (Horvath and Bennett 2016, R. Parra-Hernández in litt. 2020, Seitz 2020, eBird 2022). It is further known from the Cordillera de la Costa and Cordillera de Mérida in Venezuela, along the West, Central and possibly East Cordillera in Colombia, south to the Andes and Amazon lowlands of northern Ecuador as well as in southern Ecuador and adjacent northern Peru (Chávez-Portilla et al. 2007, Parra-Hernández et al. 2008, Seitz 2020, eBird 2022). The species is likely under-recorded however; it is suggested that it may additionally occur in Bolivia and that it could be overlooked in further countries (Stiles and Skutch 1989, Seitz 2020, eBird 2022).

Conservation Actions Underway
The species occurs in several protected areas throughout its range, including Henri Pittier National Park in Venezuela (Collins 1980), Cabañas San Isidro and Yanayacu Biological Station in eastern Ecuador (Greeney 2004), as well as Munchique and Tatamá national parks in Colombia (Renjifo et al. 2014, R. Parra-Hernández in litt. 2020).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Survey further potentially suitable sites between known localities to identify additional populations and refine the distribution range. Quantify the population size. Study its ecological requirements and nesting habits. Investigate threats and their impacts. Monitor the population trend. Monitor rates of habitat loss. Protect areas of suitable habitat within the range. Raise awareness for the species and its habitat.