About Cyanocompsa cyanoides (Lafresnaye, 1847)
The blue-black grosbeak (Cyanocompsa cyanoides (Lafresnaye, 1847)) is sexually dimorphic. Females have dark brown plumage that can carry a slight reddish hue. Males are dark blue, with lighter blue markings on their eyebrows, wing shoulder patches, and forehead (the area directly above the beak). Blue-black grosbeaks are distributed only in Central and South America, specifically found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Two subspecies, C. c. caerulescens and C. c. concreta, occur in Mexico and Central America, while C. c. cyanoides ranges from Panama to northern South America. The species favors habitats with dense tall trees and undergrowth, which provides enough cover. Though not often spotted there, blue-black grosbeaks can also be found at the edges of broadleaf forests.