Geothlypis velata
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The southern yellowthroat (Geothlypis velata) is a species of bird in the family Parulidae, the New World warblers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. The southern yellowthroat was formally described in 1809 with the binomial Sylvia velata, mistakenly classing it with the Old World warblers.
The southern yellowthroat's taxonomy is not yet resolved. Well into the twenty-first century it was treated as a subspecies of the masked yellowthroat (Geothlypis aequinoctialis). In 2015 the IOC recognized it again as a full species and in 2022 the Clements taxonomy followed suit. The initial version of AviList in 2025 also treats it as a species. However, as of late 2025 and early 2026, respectively, BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) and the South American Classification Committee retain it as a subspecies of the masked yellowthroat.
The southern yellowthroat is 13 to 14.3 cm (5.1 to 5.6 in) long and weighs 11 to 17 g (0.39 to 0.60 oz). The species is sexually dimorphic. Adult males have a wide black mask from their forehead and forecrown around the eye and including the ear coverts... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | El Palmar National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | El Impenetrable National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 8 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 9 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 11 | Chapada dos Guimarães National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 12 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 13 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 14 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Curitiba | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Rosario | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Campinas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Porto Alegre | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Santos | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Asuncion | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | |
| 9 | Belo Horizonte | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Montevideo | 🇺🇾 Uruguay |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Yellowthroat sighting in São Paulo on a given day, based on 1,195 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 65th most-seen of the 353 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Yellowthroat in São Paulo on a given day, against under 5% in January and March, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Yellowthroat sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 15 cities where we can rate Southern Yellowthroat sightings, São Paulo ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Buenos Aires (Argentina, about 10%).
Same family: Parulidae
The closest relatives of the Southern Yellowthroat that you can see in São Paulo (family Parulidae, New World Warblers) are Golden-crowned Warbler (about 10%) and Tropical Parula (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Yellowthroat is recorded against all the birds logged in São Paulo (1,195 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.
