It ranges from southern Mexico to western Panama, using forested areas near water as well as edges and scrub.
It has green upperparts, a blue crown, and a black eye-mask. A black spot marks the upper breast; the underparts are green or rufous depending on subspecies. The long central tail feathers can appear racket-shaped where barbs are missing.
It lives near rivers and streams and perches in forest, hedgerows, or scrub. It excavates a tunnel in a bank for its nest and lays three to four white eggs.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.