The female is similar, but its throat has grayish white speckles and the coppery belly is less intense.

It mostly inhabits open landscapes such as the edges of montane forest, shrubby slopes, and the lower reaches of the páramo zone, though it also occurs inside humid forest.

[5] The copper-bellied puffleg is mostly sedentary but makes seasonal elevational movements.

[5] The coppery-bellied puffleg feeds on nectar at shrubs and small trees whose flowers have short corollas.

The coppery-bellied puffleg's only described vocalization is "a single metallic note 'tseek', repeated at irregular intervals".