This is an undergrowth and forest floor species of lowland and montane evergreen forests, and advanced secondary growth. It generally occurs between 600-1,100 m. It probably feeds on seeds and small invertebrates (del Hoyo et al. 1997).

Geotrygon saphirina occurs in north-west South America from the foothills and outlying ridges east of the Andes from Ecuador to south-east Peru and into extreme west Amazonian Brazil (del Hoyo et al. 1997, Ridgely & Greenfield 2001, Restall et al. 2006). It is also thought likely to exist in south-east Colombia. Subspecies rothschildi is known only from Cadena in the Mareapata Valley, south-east Peru. The species is very locally distributed throughout its range (del Hoyo et al. 1997).