Ornithion semiflavum
Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The yellow-bellied tyrannulet (Ornithion semiflavum) is a species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The yellow-bellied tyrannulet and the brown-capped tyrannulet (O. brunneicapillus) were for a time considered to be conspecific and now are deemed a superspecies. Both are now monotypic. The yellow-bellied tyrannulet is 8 to 9 cm (3.1 to 3.5 in) long and weighs about 7 to 8 g (0.25 to 0.28 oz). It is a small flycatcher with a pointed bill. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a slate-grey crown with a white forehead, lores, and supercilium on an otherwise olive-brown face. Their upperparts are bright olive. Their wings and tail are dusky olive. Their underparts are bright yellow with faint olive streaks on the breast and flanks. Both sexes have a brown iris, a black bill with an arched maxilla, and dark gray legs and feet. Juveniles have a brown tinge on their crown and upperparts and paler yellow underparts than adults.
The yellow-bellied tyrannulet is found from Veracruz... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 2 | Pico Bonito National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇧🇿 Belize | |
| 4 | Cusuco National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 5 | Piedras Blancas National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 7 | Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Corcovado National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 10 | Rincón de la Vieja National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 11 | Marino Ballena National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 12 | Carara National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 13 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 14 | Manuel Antonio National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 15 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 16 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, based on 91 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 142nd most-seen of the 277 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.
February and September
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, against under 5% in January, May–June, August and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet 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 16 parks where we can rate Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet sightings, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Tikal National Park (Guatemala, about 10%) and Pico Bonito National Park (Honduras, about 10%).
Same family: Tyrannidae
The closest relatives of the Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet that you can see in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Great Kiskadee (about 60%), Social Flycatcher (about 60%) and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet is recorded against all the birds logged in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (91 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.
