This tiny bird lives in only a small region of coastal Ecuador, and its range has been encroached upon by logging and agriculture. Only five percent of original forest remains in western Ecuador.  

Part of its habitat is within a national park, but the bird breeds beyond the park boundaries, so the park does not offer complete protection.  The American Bird Conservancy with the Fundación Jocotoco and Rainforest Trust is purchasing properties to protect 600 to 700 acres of habitat to protect this and other species endemic to the area.