The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and the Clements taxonomy place it differently within the gnateater family.

The male's entire head and most of the under parts are black, becoming dark gray on the lower belly and crissum (the area around the cloaca).

One population occurs south of the Amazon from the eastern bank of the northeast flowing Madeira River east to the lower Tapajós River and south to the northern parts of Rondônia and Mato Grosso states.

It prefers vine tangles, second-growth palms and bamboo, and appears to favor streamcourses.

[1] "[A] recent analysis by Bird et al. (2012) suggests that habitat within the range of Black-bellied Gnateater is not under enough immediate threat to upgrade the species to one of conservation concern.