[4] The name combines the genus Pipra which had been introduced by Carl Linnaeus in 1764 with the Ancient Greek eidos meaning "form" or "likeness".

[3] Two subspecies are currently recognized:[6] The fawn-breasted tanager has an average body length of 14 cm (5.5 in) and can weigh 18–25 g (0.63–0.88 oz).

[8] The coloration of the male crown and nape is a medium blue, and the forehead, lores, ocular area, and ear-coverts are deep black.

[7][10] The range of the fawn-breasted tanager extends throughout South America, covering most of Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, east Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina, following towards the southern bank of the Río de la Plata.

In the Andes and Ecuador it can be found at altitudes of 1500–2500 m, with a maximum of 3000 m. In Colombia, it occurs down to 900 m, and in Venezuela to 400 m.[7] The species has a mixed diet which includes vegetable matter such as berries, fruit pulp, buds, flowers, and seeds, as well as insects such as moths, butterflies, and larvae.

[7] The species constructs well-lined cup-shaped nests, composed of moss, sticks, grass, straw fragments, and colored threads, in forest borders on the edge of pine branches, 15–20 m (49–66 ft) from the ground.