The Ceara Gnateater is distributed in north-east Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte to Alagoas with a disjunct population in northern Ceará at Serra de Baturité where these photos were taken. See the distribution map at Birdlife International. It is found, usually perched close to the ground, in the undergrowth of humid forest and secondary growth.

These photos are of males. The females have a less obvious supercilium. It differs from Rufous Gnateater C. lineata in having a more deeply orange plumage and no obvious white crescent on the breast. Note that photos 1 and 2 were taken without flash while photo 3 was with flash.

They feed on insects in the leaf litter and foliage on or near the ground.