A tiny parrot of montane forests. The male is brightly-colored with a green back, red belly and a peachy cheek and throat surrounded with bright blue. The female is mainly green with a blue crown and whitish face. Other pygmy-parrot species do not usually occur in this altitudinal range. Like other pygmy-parrots, it creeps along trunks but nests in stumps rather than arboreal termitaria. The male is unmistakeable and female similar to Yellow-capped and Buff-faced, but has a paler face and lacks the bright yellow vent. A high-pitch tinkling call.