Tiny, bee-like hummingbird. Both sexes have white spots on sides of rump. Male has glittering magenta throat bordered by a pale buffy breast, neck sides, and stripe behind eye, and has a spiky tail. Female is pale rusty below, though whiter on the throat, neck, and eye stripe. Female is smaller than female White-bellied Woodstar, and is more extensively rusty on the belly. Inhabits both humid and deciduous forest, mainly in the Andes but also in coastal areas of Ecuador. Occasionally visits feeders.