Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet

Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet

Ornithion semiflavum

Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Tikal National Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

247 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026
844 In all 16 parks
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet

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 →

Sounds

Call0:37

Guatemala · 2024

© Peter Boesman · XC880206 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:48

Honduras · 2014

© Oliver Komar · XC216542 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:26

Costa Rica · 2020

© Johan Chaves · XC612036 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
2 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
3 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~10%
4 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
5 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
6 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
7 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
8 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
9 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
10 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
11 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
12 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
13 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
14 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
15 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
16 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet in Tikal National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet sighting in Tikal National Park on a given day, based on 247 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 125th most-seen of the 300 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet in Tikal National Park?

April–May, September–October and December

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet in Tikal National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August and November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet?

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.

Is Tikal National Park the best place to see a Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet?

Yes

Of the 16 parks where we can rate Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet sightings, Tikal National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Pico Bonito National Park (Honduras, about 10%) and Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (Belize, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet live in Tikal National Park?

Same family: Tyrannidae

The closest relatives of the Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet that you can see in Tikal National Park (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Social Flycatcher (about 60%), Dusky-capped Flycatcher (about 40%) and Yellow-olive Flycatcher (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet is recorded against all the birds logged in Tikal National Park (247 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.

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