Here are a few shots of a Yellowish Flycatcher, images from another sighting I recently unearthed from a two-day stay at the Toucanet Lodge in the mountains near Copey de Dota, Costa Rica in July 2013.

They’re common from Mexico to Panama and relatively abundant in the Cordillera Central range in Costa Rica near where these photos were taken; and if I recall correctly, they are fairly sociable when encountering people staring at them with binoculars or cameras with long lenses. I spotted another the day before along this same stretch of road and like this one, he too sat on a similar wire fench for some time and didn’t seem too interested in any of the insects that were buzzing about that morning. Males and females are similar, with the latter smaller; these were both perching alone so I didn’t see two together to make a comparison.

Mostly I remember the silverish top of their bill, the bold crest and yellowish green which stood out magnificently from the darker forested background.

Yellowish Flycatcher (Empidonax flavescens) in brief (with assist from WordPress AI but double-checked by me at Birds of the World and Wikipedia):

• Size: 13-14 cm (5.1-5.5 in) in length.
• Diet: Insectivorous; primarily feeds on insects and some fruits.
• Habitat: Prefers shrubby and open areas within montane forests, often found in second growth.
• Physical Description: Olive-yellow underparts, dark olive-brown upperparts, and a distinct eyering; moderately long tail.
• Breeding: Breeds between May and August; nests are typically cup-shaped and located in low vegetation.
• Conservation Status: Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its relatively stable population.
• Unique Behaviors: Known for its active foraging behavior, often flycatching from low perches.
• Range and Migration: Breeding range extends across Central America, particularly in Costa Rica and western Panama, with some individuals migrating to lower elevations during the non-breeding season.

Links for further reference:

• Yellowish Flycatcher at Birds of the World
• Yellowish Flycatcher at BirdLife DataZone
• Yellowish Flycatcher at eBird
• Yellowish Flycatcher at Avibase
• Yellowish Flycatcher at Wikipedia
• Yellowish Flycatcher at Oiseaux.net
• Yellowish Flycatcher at iNaturalist

Photo from 20 July 2013. A version of this post was originally published on 13 August 2013 on my previous site, Piran Cafe, which is no longer being updated. The links were updated and images reprocessed and moved here on 19 January 2026.

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Added to the Bird of the Week post hosted by I.J on his site Don’t Hold Your Breath. This week he talks about the Long-tailed Shrike.

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