Incandescently beautiful but sluggish and surprisingly hard to detect, this is a species of moist lowland and foothill forest. Male has a black head, bright red nape and underparts, brownish-orange back, and black-and-white-barred wings. Female is brownish with a yellow breast and belly. Both sexes have bright blue eye-rings and bills. Gives a series of gulpy squeaks: “kyew, kyew, kyew, kyew”.