[4] Schwartz's antthrush has two subspecies, the nominate C. t. turdina (Cabanis & Heine, 1860) and C. t. chionogaster (Hellmayr, 1906).

The species' English name honors ornithologist Paul A. Schwartz, who was the first to realize how strikingly different its song sounds compared to that of the rufous-tailed antthrush.

Subspecies C. t. chionogaster has paler underparts than the nominate with heavier scallops on their lower throat and breast; their tail feathers have thin pale buff tips.

The nominate subspecies is found locally along all three of Colombia's Andean ranges, principally in the watersheds of the Cauca and Magdalena rivers.

A separate population in the Serranía de los Yariguíes is thought to be this subspecies.

The species inhabits the interior and edges of humid to wet montane forest.

[5] The diet and foraging behavior of Schwartz's antthrush are not known in detail, though it probably feeds on insects and spiders.

[1] It is considered fairly common in all parts of its range and occurs in several protected areas in both countries.