Tawny-breasted Honeyeaters mainly inhabit the rainforests of New guinea but do just make it to Australia where they occur on far northern Cape York Peninsula, south to Silver Plains near Coen on the east coast and to near Kowanyama on the west coast. There they replace their close relative from further south, Macleays Honeyeater.

Tawny-breasted Honeyeaters are essentially insectivores, gleaning the foliage and bark for arthropods. Adults occupy permanent territories when breeding and they do not form flocks - small groups may come together at rich sources of nectar such as flowering paperbarks.