Only a few specimens are known. The only specimen with a recorded locality came from Guayllabamba in northwestern Ecuador. A later reported sighting has not been confirmed.
The body is glossy golden green, with white feather puffs on the legs. Males have a faint blue throat patch; females lack it.
At the historical Guayllabamba locality, dry ravines were recorded, with montane dry forest and scrub described in the area. The habitat description includes an estimate, and the species’ habitat requirements remain poorly known.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.