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Golden-browed Chlorophonia (Chlorophonia callophrys)Golden-browed Chlorophonia

Family Fringillidae

Golden-browed Chlorophonia

Chlorophonia callophrys

In Spanish: Clorofonia Cejidorada (Rualdo [hembras y juveniles, Rey de Rualdo [machos adultos])

  • Resident
  • Regional endemic

A chunky emerald and gold fruit eater of mossy highland forest.

The Golden-browed Chlorophonia is a small, chunky finch that lives only in Costa Rica and western Panama. The male wears emerald green, bright yellow and a pale violet-blue crown, and its colours stand out against the mossy, misty forest.

In Costa Rica it follows the mountain ranges for the length of the country, from about 1,000 m up to treeline. Look for it where fruit is ripening in the canopy.

How to find it

Scan fruiting trees and mistletoe clusters in the canopy, and listen for soft whistles. Early morning is suggested as the best time. Look for pairs or small flocks in the foothills and mountains between 1,000 and 2,500 m. Despite its bright colours, it can be hard to spot in dense green cloud forest foliage.

How to recognise it

This is a chunky, short-tailed, stubby-billed bird, about 13 cm long and weighing about 24 g. The adult male has a pale violet-blue crown and nape, with a golden-yellow forehead and a wide eyebrow stripe. His face, throat and upper breast are emerald green, and the lower breast and belly are bright yellow. Females are mostly shiny green, with a yellow forehead and a light blue central crown and nape. Only the centre of the breast, the belly and the undertail are yellow on a female.

What it sounds like

0:06

Recording: Dan MacNeal, CC BY 4.0, source, read 4 Nov 2026.

Behaviour and diet

It eats almost only fruit, mainly mistletoe berries, other small berries and figs, with a few insects, and it feeds mostly in the forest canopy. In Costa Rica it also peers under branches for insects and spiders. Pairs forage together in the breeding season. For much of the year it travels in flocks of up to 12 birds, which split into pairs to breed. It only occasionally joins mixed-species flocks.

Where it lives

In Costa Rica it occurs from about 1,000 m up to treeline, along the mountain ranges for the length of the country. It lives in the canopy, interior and edges of very wet evergreen forest, favouring trees heavy with moss and epiphytes. It also uses pastures with scattered trees and sometimes drops into secondary growth. It is found on both the Caribbean and Pacific slopes.

When to see it

It breeds from February to June in Costa Rica, and sometimes raises two broods in a season. In the rainy season it can descend much lower, especially on the Caribbean side, when fruit is scarce higher up.

Similar birds

The Blue-crowned Chlorophonia is very similar, but in Costa Rica the two do not overlap because the Blue-crowned lives farther north. The Golden-browed's yellow eyebrow helps separate them.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

Costa Ricans call the bird Rualdo, and the adult male Rey de Rualdo. The AOCR name is Clorofonia Cejidorada, and another Spanish name is fruterito de cejas doradas, little fruit bird with golden brows. Legend says it gave up its singing voice to the Poás volcano to save a young woman.

Status and conservation

The AOCR list marks it as a resident endemic (R-END), the IUCN rates it Least Concern, and it is considered common in Costa Rica.

Photography tips

Watch fruiting trees and mistletoe clusters, since a photographer reported a good visit when plenty of berries were available. Early morning is suggested as the best time.

How we know this 12 sources, each read on the date shown
  1. Wikipedia read 2026-11-04https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden-browed_chlorophonia
  2. Panama Birds & Wildlife Photos blog read 2026-11-04http://panama-wildlife.blogspot.com/2017/04/featured-species-golden-browed.html
  3. Destination: Wildlife read 2026-11-04https://www.destinationwildlife.com/blog/costa-rica-birds
  4. Costa Rica Focus read 2026-11-04https://www.costaricafocus.com/bird-species/golden-browed-chlorophonia/
  5. JungleDragon read 2026-11-04https://www.jungledragon.com/specie/10541/golden-browed_chlorophonia.html
  6. Pablo R. Bedrossian read 2026-11-04https://pablobedrossian.com/2020/06/02/clorofonia-corona-azul-una-de-las-aves-unicas-de-centroamerica-y-mexico-por-pablo-r-bedrossian/
  7. Birds for Beer read 2026-11-04https://birdsforbeer.com/2024/04/01/a-highland-beauty-golden-browed-chlorophonia/
  8. Wikipedia (Spanish) read 2026-11-04https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophonia_callophrys
  9. Cloudbridge Nature Reserve bird list read 2026-11-04https://www.cloudbridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Bird-Species-List-Costa-Rica-13-April-2020.pdf
  10. Birds of the World read 2026-11-04https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/gobchl1/cur/introduction
  11. Flickr post quoting a Costa Rican species account read 2026-11-04https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobando/26699456230
  12. iNaturalist guide, Aves de Orosi y Tapanti read 2026-11-04https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/1533228