A small sunbird found on Madagascar and nearby western Indian Ocean islands. Males are metallic green, while females are much duller brown and yellow.
It is about 10–11 cm long. Males have metallic green on the head, back, and throat, a black breast with a red band, and a yellow belly. Females have grey-brown upperparts, a dull yellow belly, and a grey throat and breast.
It uses a wide range of settings, including mangroves, forest, secondary growth, spiny subdesert vegetation, plantations, and gardens. The account lists beetles, bugs, and spiders among its insect prey. The female builds a domed nest from grass stems, coconut fibre, and leaves.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.