The male hummingbird has a dark green body and a brilliant flame-orange throat. The species occurs in the Andes from southern Ecuador to northwestern Peru, visiting flowers in cloud forest and along forest edges.
The nominate male is dark green with a brilliant orange throat, gray-green underparts, and a notched dark tail and white undertail coverts.
It visits flowers for nectar in moist cloud forest and along the eastern Andean forest edge.
There is a small white spot behind the eye, and the forehead shines green.
The female has an iridescent orange lower gorget and a whitish upper gorget and throat.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.