This stunning hummingbird is distinctive within its limited range in north-central Colombia. Males have a pointed green strip on the throat bordered by white and a spiky black-and-white crest. On females and immatures, look for the broad white band across the chest that extends up onto the sides of the neck, the very short, straight bill, and white in the outer tail feathers. Most often seen singly foraging at flowering shrubs in the páramo.