Phainoptila melanoxantha
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The black-and-yellow phainoptila or black-and-yellow silky-flycatcher (Phainoptila melanoxantha) is a species of bird in the family Ptiliogonatidae, the silky-flycatchers. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. The black-and-yellow phainoptila is the only member of its genus, but its further taxonomy is unresolved. The IOC and AviList call the species black-and-yellow phainoptila and the others call it the black-and-yellow silky-flycatcher. The generic name Phainoptila is derived from the Greek and means "shining plumage".
The black-and-yellow phainoptila is about 20 cm (7.9 in) long. It weighs an average of 60 g (2.1 oz). It is a heavy-bodied bird with a wide rounded tail. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a black head, back, wings, and tail. Their rump is bright yellow. Their throat is black, their breast olive... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Los Quetzales National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Irazú Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Volcán Barú National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Poás Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 8 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Chirripó National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-and-yellow Phainoptila sighting in Los Quetzales National Park on a given day, based on 2,178 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 54th most-seen of the 252 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to August
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Black-and-yellow Phainoptila in Los Quetzales National Park on a given day, against about 20% in September to May, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-and-yellow Phainoptila sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Black-and-yellow Phainoptila sightings, Los Quetzales National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-and-yellow Phainoptila is recorded against all the birds logged in Los Quetzales National Park (2,178 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.
