Phainoptila melanoxantha
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-and-yellow Phainoptila sighting in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 174 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 204th most-seen of the 412 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-and-yellow Phainoptila in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 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-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.
8th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Black-and-yellow Phainoptila sightings, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%), Los Quetzales National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%) and Irazú Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%).
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Black-and-yellow Phainoptila that you can see in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Brown Jay (about 70%), Slate-throated Redstart (about 60%) and Southern House Wren (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-and-yellow Phainoptila is recorded against all the birds logged in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (174 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.
