This is a forest floor species of lowland tropical forest up to 1,800 m. It appears tolerant of secondary growth (Skutch 1947). It has been recorded feeding on berries and myriapods in Suriname, other invertebrates and starchy seeds in Panama, and dried bananas in Costa Rica. Breeding times appear to be variable: nests have been found in January, April and June, and a breeding condition female collected in August. The nest is a roofed chamber built at the base of trees (del Hoyo et al. 1994).

Odontophorus gujanensis is restricted to the Neotropics. It has a disjunct range, and eight recognised subspecies. Subspecies castigatus is likely to have been extirpated from Panama, and is now found only in a restricted area of Costa Rica. Subspecies marmoratus ranges from east Panama, where it can be locally common away from human settlements, to north Colombia and north-west Venezuela. The nominate subspecies gujanensis is uncommon in south-east Venezuela; from there its range spreads east through Guyana to Suriname and French Guiana (it is frequent in both of these countries), and south through parts of Brazil (del Hoyo et al. 1994, Restall et al. 2006). Subspecies medius occurs in south Venezuela and north-west Brazil. Subspecies buckleyi occurs at the base of Colombia's east Andes, in east Ecuador and in north Peru. Subspecies rufogularis is endemic to north-east Peru. Subspecies pachyrhynchus is known from east Peru, where it is common, and may also occur in west Bolivia. Subspecies simonsi is endemic to east Bolivia (del Hoyo et al. 1994).

Conservation Actions Underway
It occurs in protected areas.

Conservation Actions Proposed

Carry out surveys to determine the population size and to monitor population trends. Research the impact of hunting on the species's population size. Monitor trends in habitat loss across its range.
Expand the protected area network to effectively protect IBAs. Effectively resource and manage existing and new protected areas. Conservation on private lands, through expanding market pressures for sound land management and preventing forest clearance on lands unsuitable for agriculture, is also essential (Soares-Filho et al. 2006).