These hummingbirds are found only in Costa Rica and Panama where they inhabit humid or wet mountain forests, gardens, shaded coffee plantations, and old second growth. They enjoy gathering nectar from shrubs and vines around the interior or edge of the forest, and also hawk for flying arthropods. While females tend to stay in the understory, males spend more time in the forest canopy. Both males and females are green above and have black tips to the white outer tail feathers.