The Hooded Grosbeak is a mountain bird whose male has a black head and throat and a heavy bill. It usually uses the middle and upper levels of forest in small groups.
The male has a black head and throat, with a pale patch on its black wings. The female has a black cap and partly white-tipped outer tail feathers. The male's bill is heavy and pale green.
It is seen in pairs or small groups, and in some places forms flocks of more than 50 in winter. It feeds quietly in the middle and upper forest and nests high in trees.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.