It is a resident breeder from Costa Rica south to northern Argentina and on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.

[2] The female bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text.

In the breeding season, the male displays the white spots which he has under his wings, opening them and closing them in front of the female.

[10] The bulky cup nest is built in a tree or shrub, and the female incubates three, sometimes two, brown-blotched cream eggs for 14–15 days.

Local names in Trinidad and Tobago include 'Parson' (for the male) and 'Singing Angel'; on these islands, the species is highly valued for its whistling ability.