The closed oval nest is constructed from grass, lichen and other plant material, bound together with spider webs.

The adult male has a glossy, metallic green head, throat, upper breast and back.

The male can be distinguished from the similar greater double-collared sunbird by its smaller size, narrower red chest band and shorter bill.

It lives mainly on nectar from flowers, but takes some fruit, and, especially when feeding young, insects and spiders.

The call is a hard chee-chee, and the song is high pitched jumble of tinkling notes, rising and falling in pitch and tempo for 3–5 seconds or more.Sinclair, Hockey and Tarboton, SASOL Birds of Southern Africa, ISBN 1-86872-721-1