Known as the "organ-grinder's" monkey, these monkeys prefer to live in the upper levels of the forest canopy. They are intelligent and agile, with a "wise-old man" facial expression created by a wrinkled forehead and a head of hair like a monk's hood.

They are omnivores and eat a varied diet, consuming fruits, seeds, flowers and their nectar. Capuchins travel in noisy troops. A troop can range from 5 to over 30 monkeys who forage at various levels of the forest. They hunt in the treetops and swoop down to the shrub, eating nearly all animals they can catch: insects, snails, caterpillars, spiders and other small animals. They also capture larger prey such as small rodents, opossums, baby birds, lizards, and frogs.

When capuchin monkeys lap up the nectar from flowers, the fur surrounding their hairy faces gets covered in yellow pollen. By carrying the pollen through the forest, they may assist in the pollination of some trees to a greater extent than scientists have previously realized.