Myiornis atricapillus
Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The black-capped pygmy tyrant (Myiornis atricapillus) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama. The black-capped pygmy tyrant was originally described in 1875 as Orchilus atricapillus. At various times since it was described it has been placed in genus Perissotriccus and treated as a subspecies of the short-tailed pygmy tyrant (Myiornis ecaudatus). The black-capped and short-tailed pygmy tyrants apparently form a superspecies. Several authors have suggested that genus Myiornis should be merged into genus Hemitriccus.
The black-capped pygmy tyrant is monotypic. The black-capped pygmy tyrant is 6 to 8 cm (2.4 to 3.1 in) long; three individuals weighed 5.5 to 6 g (0.19 to 0.21 oz). It is the smallest passerine in Central America and among the smallest on Earth. Adult males have a black crown that fades to slate gray at its rear and on the nape. They have white lores that continue to a white eye-ring and a black spot by the eye on an otherwise slate gray face. Their back, rump, and uppertail coverts are bright olive green. Their greater and median wing... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utría National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | San Lorenzo Protected Forest | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Cahuita National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Bastimentos Island National Marine Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 8 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 9 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 10 | Tortuguero National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 11 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 12 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 13 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 442nd most-seen of the 503 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
13th of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant sightings, Arenal Volcano National Park ranks 13th at under 5%. The best odds are in Utría National Natural Park (Colombia, about 20%), San Lorenzo Protected Forest (Panama, about 10%) and Soberanía National Park (Panama, about 10%).
Same family: Tyrannidae
The closest relatives of the Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant that you can see in Arenal Volcano National Park (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Great Kiskadee (about 70%), Social Flycatcher (about 50%) and Tropical Kingbird (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant is recorded against all the birds logged in Arenal Volcano National Park (21 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
