[4] In 2016 BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) recognized them as separate species, the western, northern, and southern tawny antpittas.

The center of their belly is whitish, their flanks paler than their breast, and their undertail coverts a richer rufescent tawny.

[9][10][11][12][excessive citations] The tawny antpitta is found along the spine of the Andes from Caldas Department in west-central Colombia south through Ecuador and slightly into northern Peru north and west of the Marañón River.

[9][10][11][12][excessive citations] The tawny antpitta is believed to be a year-round resident throughout its range.

[9] The tawny antpitta's diet is not well documented but it is known to include a variety of insects, other invertebrates, and small vertebrates.

All of the known clutches were of two eggs; they are sky blue to blue-green with variable amounts of darker flecking.

Its basic song is "a simple, three-note vocalization that starts with a short, even, overslurred note followed by a pause, and then two slightly longer overslurred notes at a slightly lower pitch in quick succession" that lasts about 1.1 to 1.3 seconds.

The species' call is "a loud, explosive, strongly downslurred note that falls from ca.

[10][11] "The Tawny Antpitta appears to be relatively tolerant of disturbance and can be abundant in shrubby second growth around habitations and in agricultural areas...Nevertheless, the páramo habitat of the Tawny Antpitta is under increasing threat, especially from agricultural development and the harvesting of Polylepis trees.