Both males and females look similar to the female Violet-fronted Brilliant (Heliodoxa leadbeateri), but the Violet-fronted always has a white patch below the eye and often shows a peach-colored (not white) belly. Many-spotted Hummingbirds inhabit the interior and edge of forests in the Andean foothills where they are most common around 600 meters. They forage for nectar or spend time hawking for insects in clearings or over streams.