White-ringed Flycatcher

How to find it

Look high in the canopy, often on the very top of a tall tree, and listen for the trill. A 'Social Flycatcher' perched high and giving a trilled call is probably this species. Check that the white ring meets at the nape and that the bill looks a little longer. Tall trees along rivers and streams where the Caribbean lowlands meet the foothills are worth scanning. Do not expect it on fences. A guide's imitation calls at the edge of La Selva drew one in along with becards, honeycreepers and tanagers.

How to recognise it

This is a small flycatcher, about 16 cm long and 24 g.

The head is black with a thin white eyebrow that runs across the forehead and wraps around the nape like a ring. That ring gives the bird its name. The white eyebrow is wider than in other kiskadee types and meets at both forehead and nape.

A thick black stripe runs through the eye to the neck sides, so the cheeks look solid black. A golden yellow patch on the crown is often visible. The throat is white and the underparts are bright yellow.

The wings are plain brown with no rufous. The pale edges on the tertials (the inner flight feathers) stand out even from a distance, more than on a Social Flycatcher. The bill is slightly longer and straighter than a Social's.

What it sounds like

Recording: Guillaume Delaitre, CC BY 4.0, source, read 4 Nov 2026.

Behaviour and diet

It almost always stays in the canopy, often on the very top of a tall tree. From there it perches high and sallies out to snatch insects, spiders and fruit from foliage.

Pairs or small groups are typical, and groups of four to six birds occur. Unlike other kiskadee-type flycatchers, it does not hang out on fences or drop to the ground, and it prefers forest.

It nests in old woodpecker holes or among bromeliads, about 10 to 15 m up. Males have been seen showing off long 'tails' that are really the upper-tail coverts.

Where it lives

It lives in the canopy and edges of humid evergreen forest. It also uses tall trees in clearings and partly cleared areas, and trees along streams and other watercourses.

In Costa Rica it is a locally common resident of the Caribbean lowlands and reaches about 500 m elevation. It occasionally climbs the foothill slopes to about 600 m. It is uncommon in the drier lowlands east of Río Frío.

When to see it

Breeding in Costa Rica runs from March to June.

Similar birds

It looks like a miniature Great Kiskadee, but it is much smaller and has no rufous in the wings or tail. Its bill is slimmer than a kiskadee's but longer than a Social Flycatcher's. In Social and Boat-billed Flycatchers the white eyebrow does not meet at the nape, while in Great Kiskadee it does.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

In Costa Rica the AOCR name is Mosquero Cabecianillado, and the bird is also called Pecho Amarillo. Other countries use different Spanish names, such as Güis Coroniblanco in Nicaragua and Mosquero Blanquianillado in Panama.

Status and conservation

The AOCR list marks it as a resident (R), and the IUCN rates it Least Concern, though the population is thought to be declining.

Photography tips

Find it by ear first, then scan the tops of tall trees along rivers and the La Selva entrance road. It perches high and exposed, so a long lens helps. Calls imitated by a guide have drawn it into view.