Black-and-yellow Phainoptila

About the Black-and-yellow Phainoptila

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, 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".

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 →