Hooded Grosbeak illustration
Birdsong field guide

Hooded Grosbeak

Hesperiphona abeillei

A large, striking finch of Middle American highlands, characterized by its brilliant yellow plumage and contrasting black hood and wings.

What it sounds like

Clear, whistled 'pree-er' notes and sharp, metallic 'pink' contact calls.

Reference call, compare with what you heard
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Rec. Max Noack · GuatemalaCC BY-NC-SAXeno-canto

Field notes

  • It is the southern sister species to the Evening Grosbeak, sharing the same genus Hesperiphona.
  • The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with females displaying a grayish-olive hood instead of the male's deep black.
  • Their massive, bone-colored conical bill is specialized for cracking hard-shelled seeds and fruit pits.
  • They are primarily arboreal and tend to forage in the high canopy of humid mountain forests.
  • Outside of the breeding season, they are known to be nomadic, traveling in small, social flocks.
Habitat
Humid montane forests, specifically pine-oak and cloud forests.
Range
Highlands of Mexico and Guatemala.

Similar & commonly confused birds

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