Golden-browed Chlorophonia
Chlorophonia callophrys
eBird gives this description for the Golden-browed Chlorophonia: Small bird, plump and compact with stout bill. Male and female both lime green with yellow belly and blue cap. Males have prominent yellow eyebrow. Usually seen in pairs or small flocks, often in association with a fruiting tree. Forages at all levels, most frequently the canopy. Listen for its single low-pitched whistle.
The Birds of the World website introduces this bird with the following descriptive information: The Golden-browed Chlorophonia is confined to southern Central America, where it ranges from northern Costa Rica south to western Panama. Males are striking and easily identified birds with bright grass green upperparts, throat and upper breast, while the rest of the underparts and broad supercilium are yellow; there is also a patch of bright green on the lower flanks, and the crown is blue. Females are somewhat less distinctive, but share the blue crown and nape, and have some yellow on the underparts, but are otherwise mainly green. The species is typically uncommon and somewhat local, being found in the canopy of highland forests above 750 m elevation.
I met, and photographed, my first Golden-browed Chlorophonia on the morning of Monday, February 12, 2023 in Costa Rica. Our birding group with Tropical Birding Tours was at the meadow called the “Rest Area” at Curi-Cancha Reserve in Monteverde when we spotted this bird high up near the top of a tree. The bird was very difficult to see and photograph because it was well hidden by the dense foliage of the tree. I got a good look at it through Sam’s scope, and was able to get a very poor photo that was sufficient for identification. What a beautiful little bird! The three photos below are what I call the result of “Armchair Birding”– a process where I take photos not really knowing the exact location of a bird, then locating the bird by carefully searching enlarged photos. These three photos are small parts of literally dozens of photos I took of the area where I knew the Golden-browed Chlorophonias were hiding.
