Yellow-winged Vireo Vireo carmioli Scientific name definitions

Also known as Carmiol’s Vireo, the Yellow-winged Vireo is reasonably numerous but restricted to the mountains of western Costa Rica and adjacent, westernmost Panama. Above this species is largely olive-green with a broad yellow supercilium and bold pale yellowish wingbars, while below it is usually largely unmarked yellowish. The Yellow-winged Vireo is found in the canopy and at the borders of cool montane forests between 1600 and 3000 m, but has been occasionally found as low as 900 m in Panama. It sometimes joins mixed-species flocks, and is reported to periodically descend to lower elevations in the non-breeding season, presumably explaining the low-altitude records from Panama.

11–11·5 cm; 12·7–15·2 g. Crown grey-green, eyering and area above lores whitish to buffy yellow (giving spectacled appearance), nape and upperparts dull greenish; primaries and secondaries blackish-grey, broadly edged with yellow-green, greater and median upperwing-coverts dark greenish-grey, broadly tipped whitish to pale yellow (two conspicuous wingbars on closed wing); rectrices blackish-grey, outer webs broadly fringed greenish-yellow; throat yellowish-white, chest and belly yellow, duller yellowish-green at sides, vent yellow; some individuals have yellow pigments quite muted, giving almost grey-and-white appearance; iris brown; upper mandible blackish, lower mandible pale grey; legs grey or bluish-grey. Sexes alike. Juvenile has wingbars more ochraceous (less bright yellow), back more brownish (less green), breast tinged buff, superciliary area buffy white.

Mountains of Costa Rica (Cordillera Central, Dota Mts and Cordillera de Talamanca) and adjacent W Panama (Chiriquí Highlands).

Cool, humid mountain forests, from c. 1900 m (1630 m in W Panama) up to tree-line (c. 3000 m), moving downslope somewhat (to c. 1500 m) in wet season.

Essentially sedentary; some descend to lower elevations after breeding (i.e. at height of rainy season).

Recorded food items insects, spiders (Araneae), also vegetable matter (berries). Tends to forage with deliberate movements, up to 25 m or more above ground level; occasionally lower down in undergrowth or second growth. Sometimes joins mixed flocks.

Song a series of short, leisurely phrases of 2 or 3 syllables, of a rather burry or buzzy nature, often the last note characteristically accented, "cheeyah, cheeyah, chipcheewee", interspersed with longer pauses; in pattern resembles the song of such species as V. olivaceus, rather than that of V. griseus. Calls include nasal "net", and "chwick" like that of a New World oriole (Icterus).

Nests in Mar–Jun (i.e. just prior to and in early part of rainy season). Nest, built by both sexes, a cup made from green leaves, mosses, lichens and the like, with egg cases of spiders incorporated, suspended by its rim 3–20 m up in lateral fork of tree or shrub branch. Clutch 2 eggs, white, with dark spots around blunt end; incubation of eggs and feeding of young by both sexes. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Restricted range species: present in Costa Rica and Panama Highlands EBA. Quite common in suitable habitat. Considerable portions of this species' habitat are protected in private or public reserves, including e.g. Volcán Poás National Park, in Costa Rica, Volcán Barú National Park, in Panama, and La Amistad National Park, shared between those two countries.