These bats are associated with streams and moist areas, preferably in lowland and multistratal tropical evergreen forests (Reid 2009). They live in the forest and forage in small open spaces, chiefly flying in long, slow, beats of about 20 m long between the forest canopy and subcanopy (Emmons and Feer 1997). Frequently recorded at forest edges (Sampaio pers. comm.). Roosts in small groups in large, rotting hollow trees, or in tree hollows. Active soon after sunset, it feeds on small flying insects near forest edge or over water (Reid 2009). Cormura brevirostris has not been the subject of a detailed field study (Bernard 2003). It is an aerial insectivore of background cluttered space.

This species is found in Central and South America. It is widely distributed from central Nicaragua through Panama, west of the Andes to northwestern Ecuador, and east of the Andes from Venezuela and the Guianas to Amazonian Peru, central Brazil and northern Bolivia (Simmons 2005, Hood and Gardner 2008, Reid 2009). Found from lowlands to 1,000 m (Emmons and Feer 1997, Reid 2009, Linares 1998). Distribution follows moist lowland forest areas. Note that this species may no longer occur in the southernmost part of the range due to forest loss.

Retention of primary forest. Presumably the species occurs in some protected areas. This is true for most New World emballonurid bats because they are usually widely distributed.