A green-and-chestnut hummingbird with plumage that varies throughout its range. All variants have a red bill with a black tip. In most of its range, it has a green throat, white breast, and chestnut belly and tail. In the southern part of its range, white breast is reduced or absent and throat is blue or blue-green. At its northern limit, tail is mostly green. In the Andes of southern Ecuador, underparts are mostly white with only a little chestnut. Common in dry forest and scrub, and less prevalent or absent in more humid areas.