This tiny hummingbird is endemic to the Pacific coast of western Ecuador. A 2007–08 survey found 11 additional localities and 26 nests; the study also corrected female descriptions that had been based on misidentified juvenile males.
Males are green above and white below, with a narrow green chest band and a purple gorget. The paper says earlier female descriptions were mistaken juvenile males and newly describes three confirmed females.
It breeds in lowland and foothill moist forest near the coast. In the study, nests were concentrated at 30–350 m, including disturbed agricultural or grazing areas near remaining forest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.