It inhabits a flooded, tall (1.5-2.0 m) grassland ecosystem comprising dense, tangled, bush-covered swamp with low trees, where 'arraigán' Myrica cerifera brush, Salix longipes, sawgrass Cladium jamaicensis and cattails Typha angustifolia are common (King 1981, Regalado Ruíz 1981, E. Abreu in litt. 1999, Kirkconnell et al. 1999). C. jamaicensis is the preferred vegetation for nesting and feeding (E. Abreu in litt. 1999). Breeding takes place around September, and possibly in December and January (Raffaele et al. 1998). Nests are apparently situated on raised tussocks above water-level (Bond 1984). Birds may disperse during wet-season floods, returning to permanently inundated areas in the dry season (A. Mitchell in litt. 1998).

This species occurs away from the coast and more commonly on the western side (A. Mitchell in litt. 2016) of the 4,500 km² Zapata swamp, south-west Cuba. Four individuals were collected near Santo Tomás in 1927, and the species was found easily in 1931. There were no subsequent records until the 1970s, when its voice was thought to have been recorded and birds were found in the south-east of Laguna del Tesoro. There are also records from Peralta, within the Zapata swamp (A. Kirkconnell in litt. 2007) and La Turba in November 2014 (A. Mitchell in litt. 2014). It may occur elsewhere within the swamp (A. Mitchell in litt. 1998), and was formerly even more widespread, with fossil bones found in cave deposits in Havana, Pinar del Río, on the Isla de la Juventud (Olson 1974, Garrido 1985, E. Abreu in litt. 1999), and Sancti Spiritus (W. Suárez per A. Kirkconnell in litt. 2012). It is now thought to have an extremely small population given the paucity of recent records and threats to the species, with anecdotal evidence suggesting a significant decline since the year 2000 (A. Kirkconnell in litt. 2009, A. Mitchell in litt. 2009).

Conservation Actions Underway
Two known sites are in protected areas: the well protected and managed Corral de Santo Tomás Faunal Refuge (A. Mitchell in litt. 1998), and a nature tourism area including the Laguna del Tesoro. Surveys for the species throughout its potential range took place in 1998 and 1999 (Cotinga 10 1998, Kirkconnell et al. 1999), whilst a survey in 2014 found just one individual (A. Mitchell in litt. 2014).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Urgently conduct surveys to assess current population size, distribution and status. Assess the impact of introduced species and research ways to mitigate their effects. Conduct research into the ecology of this species. Control dry season burning. Survey for any additional threats. Investigate current habitat management practices and recommend future strategies (A. Mitchell in litt. 1998).