Although the female may be slightly larger and brighter, in contrast to the two other species in the family, the South American painted-snipe is not strongly sexually dimorphic.

The South American painted-snipe is omnivorous, feeding by probing in mud and shallow water for small animals and seeds, often at dusk.

The South American painted-snipe has traditionally been regarded as a desirable game-bird in Chile and Argentina and has been regularly hunted.

It is an uncommon species in its wide range, and may be threatened by drainage of wetlands and other habitat degradation.

However, there has been no documented significant decline in population and the species' conservation status remains at one of Least Concern.