In flight, seen from below, this elegant valve is distinguished by its black and white wings. In adults, the bill is pink with a black terminal tip. The orbital ring and long legs are also pinkish. The spurs on the wrists of the wings are red. The vast majority of the upper parts are brownish grey but the shoulders are covered with a bronzed green luster. The occiput is decorated with long black feathers that form a thin, pointed crest. The forehead and throat have a black longitudinal spot. The chest is crossed by a wide black band that descends almost to the top of the belly.
The genus lipaugus refers to the gray color of this bird and derives from the Greek term lipauges which means dark. The epithet weberi was dedicated to Walter H. Weber for his great contribution to the Antioquia Ornithological Society (SAO) and for promoting the study and conservation of birds in Colombia. The name refers to its most contrasting morphological characteristic and the name in Spanish (Arrierito Antioqueño) refers to the department of Antioquia, the only region in Colombia where this bird has been found.
It is a local bird and is rarely found between 1300 and 2400 m of altitude. It is an endemic bird of Colombia known only from the western and northern slopes of the central mountain range in the extreme northwest (La Frijolera, Ventanas above Valdivia) and the western slopes of the western mountain range near the headwaters of the San Juan river (slopes of Cerro de Tatamá in La Silva and Jamarraya river).
The bill is black, the legs are dark grey. The tail is variable in length, especially in adult males. In the male, the forehead, throat and chest are dark green shimmering. A light purple square spot decorates the center of the throat. The belly is glossy golden green, the cap is dark green and the rest of the upper parts is dark bronze-green. The lateral rectrices are extended and they are nuanced with bronze.
The males measure about 43 centimeters and the females 38 centimeters. It has a silver bill and most of the body is black with the throat, chest and sides of the neck bright orange.
The male is unmistakable in good light, but usually looks completely black. It has the crown and the ruby red nape on, the feathers of the forehead cover the base of the bill. In her throat and high chest has an iridescent orange topaz tone. The rest is dark olive brown above and below. It has the blackest mantle continuing to the sides of the neck up to the eyes. Its undertail pattern and tail are of a rufous brown tone; the tail has brown apex.
It is found only in Colombia between 2000 and 2500 m above sea level in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It has been registered in San Lorenzo, Cerro Quemado and Cerro Kennedy. There are also reports for this species at the base of the Mamarongo Páramo in the Guajira.
This species is found in western Venezuela and across the Andes to southern Peru. In Colombia it is between 1500 and 3600 m high above sea level in the three lowest mountain ranges on the western slope of the Western mountain range.
It is a plump bird, with short neck and tail, short beak and wide. Head, throat and chest with bright green. Iridescent blue orbital ring as well as back and rump. The wings and tail are green, the lower chest and the lower greenish yellow parts. as for the female is like the male but more opaque, with the back green, only collar nape blue and rump too.
Its body is predominantly slate blue with its head and reddish brown neck. The bill is bluish gray with the black tip. The juveniles are totally white, sometimes with blue spots, with the bill just like the adults and the green legs.
