Its upperparts are dark brown, with grey to brownish under parts and head.

They also eat small amounts of invertebrates, flower buds, tender leaves, seeds, and roots.

The nest is located on the ground in dense brush or between raised root buttresses.

[4] The small billed tinamou has been considered an ideal candidate for domestication as the birds can raise 3-4 broods per year and are resistant to diseases that affect chickens The small-billed tinamou prefers dry savanna, but will also reside in lowland shrubland.

[3][5] The IUCN classifies this tinamou as Least Concern,[1] with an occurrence range of 6,700,000 km2 (2,600,000 sq mi).