The male marvelous spatuletail is long including its tail. Females are long with a tail. The male's signature feature is its two outer tail feathers with bare shafts that cross each other and end in large purplish black racquets or "spatules". The remaining tail feathers are very short and are supported by two long undertail
coverts. The female's outer tail feathers are also long, but shorter than the male's, and do not have the racquets. Both sexes have a slightly decurved black bill and a white spot behind the eye. Males have mostly green upperparts with a blue crest and a brownish hindneck. Their
gorget is glossy blue-green and the rest of the underparts are white with a black line down the center. Females are also green above but do not have a crest or gorget. Their underparts are white without the male's black central line. ==Distribution and habitat==