This species occurs from western Venezuela to extreme northern Peru. It is fairly common in high elevation grasslands or open shrubby areas with patches of bare ground. Look for a medium-sized, chunky brown bird with a bold whitish eyebrow and throat. In flight, shows an obvious buffy wing stripe. Singles or pairs forage in the open and are often quite approachable. Compare with Stout-billed Cinclodes, which as you may have deduced from the name has a notably stouter (and more curved) bill. Chestnut-winged was formerly a member of the Bar-winged Cinclodes complex, which has since been split into three species.