Olive-sided Flycatcher
Olive-sided FlycatcherOlive-sided Flycatcher

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Contopus cooperi

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at San José

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

265 Verified sightings at San José
7,285 In all 73 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Olive-sided Flycatcher

The olive-sided flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) is a small to medium sized passerine bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatcher family. It is a migratory species that travels from South America to North America to breed during the summer. It is an agile flyer and mainly consumes flying insects caught in flight. Since 2016, this species has been assessed as being near-threatened globally (IUCN) and threatened in Canada (SRA) due to its declining populations.

The olive-sided flycatcher is a small to medium-sized passerine, smaller than an American robin, but bigger than sparrows. It can be identified by its olive-grey or grey-brownish plumage above with a white mid-breast section and throat. The olive tones on its back and wings are seen mainly in optimal light and when the feathers are freshly moulted. The sides of the breast area are grey and make the bird look like it is wearing a vest. It has a relatively long bill and long wings for its size. Sometimes, some of its head feathers can be raised, which make it look like it has a small crest. Male and female look similar. Olive-sided flycatchers perch in upright positions on top of dead... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song1:08

United States · 2026

© Greg Irving · XC1154299 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:44

Canada · 2018

© MARK BRENNAN · XC1014659 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Uncertain0:38

United States · 2021

© Ron Overholtz · XC657764 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
2 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
9 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
11 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
12 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
13 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
14 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
15 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
16 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
18 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
19 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
20 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
21 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
22 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
23 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
24 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
25 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
26 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
27 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
28 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
29 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
30 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
31 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
32 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
33 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
34 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
35 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
36 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
37 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
38 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
39 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
40 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
41 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
42 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
43 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
44 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
45 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
46 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
47 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
48 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
49 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
50 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
51 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
52 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
53 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
54 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
55 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
56 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
57 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
58 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
59 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
60 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
61 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
62 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
63 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
64 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
65 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
66 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
67 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
68 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
69 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
70 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
71 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
72 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
73 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Bogota 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
2 Quito 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
3 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
<5%
4 Toluca 🇲🇽 México
<5%
5 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Guatemala City 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
7 Torreón 🇲🇽 México
<5%
8 Calgary 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
9 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 San José 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Closest Relatives at San José

Eastern Wood-Pewee
LC

Eastern Wood-Pewee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Contopus virens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Western Wood-Pewee
LC

Western Wood-Pewee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Contopus sordidulus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Southern Tropical Pewee
LC

Southern Tropical Pewee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Contopus cinereus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Dark Pewee
LC

Dark Pewee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Contopus lugubris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Great Kiskadee
LC

Great Kiskadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pitangus sulphuratus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Tropical Kingbird
LC

Tropical Kingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Social Flycatcher
LC

Social Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Myiozetetes similis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Boat-billed Flycatcher
LC

Boat-billed Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Megarynchus pitangua

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Common Tody-Flycatcher
LC

Common Tody-Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Todirostrum cinereum

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
LC

Yellow-bellied Elaenia

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elaenia flavogaster

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Piratic Flycatcher
LC

Piratic Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Legatus leucophaius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Black Phoebe
LC

Black Phoebe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sayornis nigricans

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Olive-sided Flycatcher in San José?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Olive-sided Flycatcher sighting in San José on a given day, based on 265 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 137th most-seen of the 379 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Olive-sided Flycatcher in San José?

September and October

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Olive-sided Flycatcher in San José on a given day, against under 5% in November to August, the lowest months. Those are among San José's wettest months, with about 280 mm of rain a month against 20 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see an Olive-sided Flycatcher?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Olive-sided Flycatcher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is San José the best place to see an Olive-sided Flycatcher?

10th of 44

Of the 44 cities where we can rate Olive-sided Flycatcher sightings, San José ranks 10th at under 5%. The best odds are in Bogota (Colombia, about 10%), Quito (Ecuador, about 10%) and Mexico City (México, under 5%).

Where does the Olive-sided Flycatcher sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Olive-sided Flycatcher is recorded against all the birds logged in San José (265 verified sightings), 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.

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