[7][6] Both sexes have metallic green upperparts, including the top of the face, that are darker towards the tail.

Males have an iridescent magenta gorget that appears cyan or black at different angles; the female's throat is cream.

The male's breast and belly are off-white to gray into which the green of the back gently merges.

[8][9][10] The Peruvian sheartail is found from far southwestern Ecuador through the entire length of western Peru and into northwestern Chile.

Its presence in Ecuador is relatively recent; the first sighting was in the early 2000s and since then there are fewer than 10 eBird records.

[6][11] The Peruvian sheartail's native habitat is the arid coastal zone with sparse and scrubby vegetation.

[6] The Peruvian sheartail is generally resident throughout its range, but because it has colonized isolated islands of suitable habitat in otherwise barren landscapes it must at least make exploratory movements.

[6] The Peruvian sheartail forages for nectar at a variety of flowering plants, both native and introduced such as Eucalyptus.

Some observed territories are rich in flowers but others have few or none, so it is not clear whether they are guarding feeding resources or courtship display areas.

Females tend to remain fairly deep in vegetation and males' display flights sometimes even penetrate the cover.

The display flights can take the form of long J-shaped "dives", or "shuttles" where he flies on a shorter, more nearly horizontal plane or arc.

During most dives and some shuttles the tail feathers are spread and produce a mechanical fluttering sound.