In elevation it ranges from sea level to near the summit of Coiba's highest peak, Cerro Torre (416 m (1,400 ft)).

It mostly pecks at the substrates, such as the bark of trunks and limbs, moss, vines, and clusters of leaves, but also probes and gleans from them.

[9][8] The Coiba spinetail's breeding season spans at least from December to July, based on the dates on which nest-building was observed.

Both members of a pair build the nest, a globe-shaped structure made mostly of bark and palm fibers and lined with seed down and other soft materials.

It is attached to a thin vertical branch or trunk or a cluster of vines and has an entrance hole low on the side.

Though it has a very limited range (approximately 50,500 ha (190 sq mi)),[9] its population is estimated to be at least 9000 mature individuals and increasing.