Both parents participate in raising their young. They bring mostly insects—like crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, ants, and caterpillars—to feed the chicks, along with some spiders and berries. Adults often zigzag on the forest floor and pause cautiously at the nest entrance before entering or leaving. Both parents remove faecal sacs to keep the nest clean. Feeding visits are more frequent with younger chicks and decrease as chicks grow older. In some cases, nests are reused in later breeding attempts, though it’s unclear if by the same pair.

This species is typically found in well-preserved, humid mountain forests and mature second-growth areas. It favours places with thick leaf cover on the ground and widely spaced tree trunks. While more common in upland forests, it also occurs in lowland evergreen forests.

Most of our observations were made in the Pedra Talhada Biological Reserve, located in Quebrangulo, Alagoas, Brazil. We documented a total of 38 nests over several years.

The breeding season is irregular and can occur throughout the year, though most nests with eggs or chicks were found between March and June. A smaller peak happens in November and December. No active nests were recorded in January.

Nests are built in natural tree cavities created by broken branches or decaying wood, typically in live or dead parts of trees. Heights range from close to the ground up to over 4 meters. The nest itself is a simple cup made entirely of fresh green leaves, which are regularly replaced during the nesting period. Nest failure is mainly caused by predators—particularly nocturnal ones like opossums—and occasionally by flooding due to heavy rains.