[4] In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries several authors and taxonomic systems called Chamaeza ruficauda the Brazilian Antthrush.

[5][6][7] The rufous-tailed antthrush is found in southeastern Brazil from eastern Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo south as far as northern Rio Grande do Sul and west slightly into northeastern Argentina's Misiones Province.

It inhabits the interior and edges of humid montane forest and mature secondary woodlands, favoring areas with dense undergrowth.

[5] The rufous-tailed antthrush's diet and foraging behavior are not known in detail, though it is known to feed on insects and spiders.

One nest was in a tree cavity with a pad of leaves, fungal rhizomorphs, and grass; it contained two nestlings.

The usual clutch size, incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known.

The rufous-tailed antthrush's song is short, "a rapid series of hollow notes at even pace (12–15 per second), increasing in volume and pitch (0·8–1·4 kHz), levelling at end".