It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.

[4][5][6] The male blue-throated goldentail is a little bit larger than the female and display similar patterns but brighter colors on its plumage.

The throat is glittering blue-violet to violet, the belly is cream-brown buff, and the sides of the breast and the flanks are streaked with green.

[7] It feeds on flowers of shrubs (Stachytarpheta, Hamelia) and large herbs (Heliconia, Renealmia, Thalea), on epiphytes, and sometimes on small arthropods.

The female is paler overall, with more black on the bill and more grey on the throat, but still bears bright golden-green upper tail coverts.

"[4] Blue-throated goldentail's call is described as "a high, buzzy tzip or tzet; aggressive note a sharp, liquid, descending twitter".

[7] Its range extends from southern Mexico to western Panama along both slopes, with a few occurrences in northern Chocó in Colombia.

[17] Though its seasonal movements are poorly documented, the blue-throated goldentail is considered resident throughout most of its range and is relatively sedentary but it may display local wandering during flowering.

Its diet comprises flowers of Stachytarpheta, Hamelia, Heliconia, Renealmia, Thalea, Inga, Psidium, Lobelia, and some epiphytes.

There is little information about blue-throated goldentail's breeding biology, but it is suspected to reproduce during the dry season between December and July.

[14] Blue-throated goldentail build cup-shaped nests with plant material and spider web at "2-4m height in small branches on the forest edges, secondary vegetation and gardens".