The species is found in humid premontane evergreen forest and secondary growth in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta at 600-1,700 m. It inhabits humid premontane forests, but is also found in old secondary growth and occasionally even in coffee plantations and along roads or field edges (Hilty and Brown 1986, Renjifo et al. 2016).

Anthocephala floriceps occurs in north-east Colombia on the north and possibly south-east slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It is described as common to uncommon (Renjifo et al. 2016, Züchner et al. 2019).

Conservation Actions Underway

CITES Appendix II. It occurs in the following protected areas: Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park, El Congo reserve (owned by Fundación Pro-Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta), El Dorado bird reserve and Los Besotes Eco Park (J. E. Orejuela in litt. 1986, Strewe and Navarro 2004, Morales-Rozo et al. 2016, Züchner et al. 2019). The protective designations in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta have been ineffective. It is listed as nationally Vulnerable in Colombia (Renjifo et al. 2016).

Conservation Actions Proposed

Assess the species's population, distribution and ecological requirements (P. G. W. Salaman in litt. 1998, 1999). Designate more protected areas, for example at the Valle del Río Frío (Rico-Guevara et al. 2016). Create management plans to conserve the species (Morales-Rozo et al. 2016). Improve habitat connectivity and give protection to rural buffer zones around forest fragments (Rico-Guevara et al. 2016).