This sunbird lives in forests on Palawan and nearby islands. Males show iridescent purple and crimson, while females have more subdued olive coloring.
The male has an iridescent blue-purple crown and broad malar stripe, crimson nape and lower back, and dull yellow throat and breast streaked with red. The female's back and rump are greenish olive.
It lives in forest, with records up to about 2,000 m. The database classifies its feeding niche as nectar-feeding while also categorizing its broader diet as omnivorous.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.