It ranges from Middle America through the northern two-thirds of South America east of the Andes. In Costa Rica it is a resident of lowlands, where it eats fruit and insects and nests in tree cavities.
Males lack red on the face and bill and usually have an all-black crown and tail. Some subspecies have white tail tips. Females can show red on the face.
In Costa Rica it eats small fruit and probes foliage for caterpillars or large insects, then catches them in flight.
It nests in tree cavities, including holes excavated by woodpeckers. In Costa Rica it is mainly a lowland resident, with records to about 1,220 m.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.