This tiny hummingbird is about 7 cm long. The male's crest and glittering throat feathers stand out, and the sexes have different patterns.
The male has a rufous crest and green throat ornaments. The female has plainer green upperparts and a pale throat.
It feeds on nectar and also takes small insects near flowers. It is recorded on the eastern Andean slope in forest edges and secondary growth.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.