It is an endemic resident breeder in Costa Rica and western Panama, where it is found in forests, secondary growth and plantations.

The orange-collared manakin is, like its relatives, a compact short-tailed bird with a heavy hooked bill, orange legs and brightly coloured male plumage.

The rest of the head, neck, breast and upper back are orange, the rump is olive-green, and the belly is bright yellow.

The female lays two brown-speckled grey eggs in a shallow cup nest 0.5–2.5 m high in a horizontal tree fork.

Nest-building, incubation for 18–21 days, and care of the young are undertaken by the female alone, since manakins do not form stable pairs.