The male marvelous spatuletail measures 15 to 17 cm in length, including a tail that spans 11 to 13 cm. Its most distinctive characteristic is the pair of outer tail feathers, which feature bare shafts that cross each other and terminate in large, purplish-black, spatula-shaped structures.
This unique hummingbird is restricted to a small region in the northern Peruvian Andes. Most sightings come from the Utcubamba River Valley in the Amazonas Department, with a few reported farther east in San Martín Department. It resides at the edges of mature forests, in secondary growth, and within montane scrublands, particularly favoring thorny Rubus thickets mixed with alder (Alnus). Its altitude range extends from 2,100 to 2,900 meters (6,900 to 9,500 feet), though there are unverified reports from both higher and lower elevations.
Listed as endangered since 2000, the marvelous spatuletail is confined to just two main areas and is estimated to have fewer than 1,000 mature individuals. While deforestation poses a significant threat to its habitat, the bird's preference for forest edges and scrubby areas may somewhat mitigate this impact.
