Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant

Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant

Myiornis atricapillus

Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at San Lorenzo Protected Forest

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

28 Verified sightings at San Lorenzo Protected Forest From 2019 to 2026
2,159 In all 13 parks
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant

The black-capped pygmy tyrant (Myiornis atricapillus) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama. The black-capped pygmy tyrant was originally described in 1875 as Orchilus atricapillus. At various times since it was described it has been placed in genus Perissotriccus and treated as a subspecies of the short-tailed pygmy tyrant (Myiornis ecaudatus). The black-capped and short-tailed pygmy tyrants apparently form a superspecies. Several authors have suggested that genus Myiornis should be merged into genus Hemitriccus.

The black-capped pygmy tyrant is monotypic. The black-capped pygmy tyrant is 6 to 8 cm (2.4 to 3.1 in) long; three individuals weighed 5.5 to 6 g (0.19 to 0.21 oz). It is the smallest passerine in Central America and among the smallest on Earth. Adult males have a black crown that fades to slate gray at its rear and on the nape. They have white lores that continue to a white eye-ring and a black spot by the eye on an otherwise slate gray face. Their back, rump, and uppertail coverts are bright olive green. Their greater and median wing... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:48

Colombia · 2024

© David Monroy Rengifo · XC918388 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Recording0:18

Costa Rica · 2022

© Johan Chaves · XC762293 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:29

Costa Rica · 2022

© Brendan Sloan · XC745059 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
2 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
3 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
4 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
5 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
6 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
7 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
8 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
9 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
10 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
11 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
12 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
13 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant in San Lorenzo Protected Forest?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant sighting in San Lorenzo Protected Forest on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 105th most-seen of the 249 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant in San Lorenzo Protected Forest?

January

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant in San Lorenzo Protected Forest on a given day, against about 10% in February–May and August–November, the lowest months. That is one of San Lorenzo Protected Forest's driest months, with about 130 mm of rain against 390 mm in July.

What time of day is best to see a Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant 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 Lorenzo Protected Forest the best place to see a Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant?

2nd of 13

Of the 13 parks where we can rate Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant sightings, San Lorenzo Protected Forest ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Utría National Natural Park (Colombia, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant live in San Lorenzo Protected Forest?

Same family: Tyrannidae

The closest relatives of the Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant that you can see in San Lorenzo Protected Forest (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Tropical Kingbird (about 50%), Great Kiskadee (about 50%) and Common Tody-Flycatcher (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant is recorded against all the birds logged in San Lorenzo Protected Forest (28 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.

← Back to San Lorenzo Protected Forest