Black-and-yellow Phainoptila
Photo © Forest Botial-Jarvis
Photo © Forest Botial-Jarvis — CC BY 4.0 — Source: iNaturalist photo #366690930The 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. == Taxonomy and systematics == The black-and-yellow phainoptila is the only member of its genus, but its further taxonomy is unresolved. The IOC, the Clements taxonomy, AviList, and the American Ornithological Society assign it two subspecies, the nominate P. m. melanoxantha (Salvin, 1877) and P. m. parkeri (Barrantes & Sánchez, JE, 2000). However, as of late 2025 BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World includes a third, P. m. minor. 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". == Description == 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-green, the center of their belly gray, and the rest of their belly, sides…
Arenal Volcano National Park
Peñas Blancas, Costa Rica
+551 birds+21 mammals
Straddling the border between Alajuela and Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica, this national park rises dramatically around one of Central America's most active volcanic systems. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKChirripó National Park
Rivas, Costa Rica
+274 birds+6 mammals
Where the volcanic spine of Costa Rica's Central Cordillera reaches its apex, Chirripó National Park encompasses a landscape that shifts dramatically with elevation, from montane cloud…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBraulio Carrillo National Park
Las Horquetas, Costa Rica
+547 birds+18 mammals
Where the Caribbean slope descends from the central volcanic cordillera toward the humid lowlands of Heredia, Braulio Carrillo National Park preserves one of Costa Rica's most…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKVolcán Poás National Park
Toro Amarillo, Costa Rica
+237 birds+4 mammals
Where volcanic slopes rise sharply from the Central Valley floor, Volcán Poás National Park protects one of Costa Rica's most active and accessible volcanic systems. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBaru Volcano National Park
Cerro Punta, Panama
+402 birds+6 mammals
Where the land rises sharply toward the Caribbean's western spine, Baru Volcano National Park sprawls across roughly 220 square kilometres of southwestern Panama, anchored by the…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKParque Internacional la Amistad
Teribe, Panama
+325 birds+11 mammals
Where the continental divide rises between the Caribbean and Pacific watersheds, a wilderness of extraordinary biological richness unfolds across the Talamanca Range and into lowland rainforest—a…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLos Quetzales National Park
Copey, Costa Rica
+232 birds+3 mammals
Cloud forest sweeps across the upper slopes of the Central Valley watershed, where elevation and persistent moisture forge an ecosystem unlike any other in Costa Rica.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKRincón de la Vieja National Park
Liberia, Costa Rica
+451 birds+30 mammals
Where volcanic slopes rise abruptly from the Guanacaste lowlands, Rincón de la Vieja National Park sprawls across a landscape shaped by geothermal drama and seasonal extremes.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTapantí Macizo de la Muerte National Park
Orosi, Costa Rica
+503 birds+18 mammals
Where montane cloud forest rises steeply from the Orosi Valley, Tapantí Macizo de la Muerte National Park enfolds a landscape of perpetual moisture and emerald complexity.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLa Amistad International Park
Crorina, Costa Rica
+532 birds+20 mammals
Where the Caribbean slopes of Costa Rica's Talamanca Mountains rise steeply inland from Limón, the boundary between two nations dissolves into an unbroken expanse of rainforest.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKVolcán Tenorio National Park
Guatuso, Costa Rica
+480 birds+12 mammals
Where volcanic slopes rise through Costa Rica's northwestern borderlands, Volcán Tenorio National Park sprawls across terrain shaped by ancient lava flows and mineral-rich springs. The park's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNo community photos yet. Log in to add the first one.
No community observations of this species yet.