The species primarily inhabits dense montane evergreen forest in subtropical and upper tropical zones, often nesting in Rubraceae tree species, but is occasionally observed in tall secondary growth, coffee plantations and the upper edges of drier forest, at elevations of 300-3,050 m, but mostly from 800 to 2,400 m (del Hoyo et al. 1994).

This species occurs in northeast Colombia and northern Venezuela. The nominate subspecies argyrotis is uncommon to fairly common in north Colombia and north and west Venezuela. Subspecies albicauda is restricted to the Sierra de Perijá in northeast Colombia and northwest Venezuela, while subspecies colombiana occurs in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, north Colombia (Strahl et al. 1994).