Yellow-crowned Euphonia

The yellow-crowned euphonia is about 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long and weighs 11.4 to 14.5 g (0.40 to 0.51 oz). It has a short stubby bill. The species is sexually dimorphic. Adult males have a large yellow forecrown and crown; the color extends well past the eye. The rest of their head, nape, and throat are glossy blue-black. Their upperparts, wings, and tail are also glossy blue-black. Their breast, belly, and undertail coverts are bright yellow. Adult females have an olive head, upperparts, wings, and tail with a yellowish tinge on the forehead. Their underparts are mostly olive-yellow with a slightly paler center and a duller belly and undertail coverts. Both sexes have a dark brown iris, a blue-gray bill with a blackish tip, and dark gray legs and feet.

The yellow-crowned euphonia is found from eastern Nicaragua south along the Caribbean slope through Costa Rica into northwestern Panama's Bocas del Toro Province. It also is found on the Pacific slope from Puntarenas Province in west-central Costa Rica south to Darién Province in eastern Panama. It inhabits a variety of landscapes in the tropical and lower subtropical zones. In Nicaragua and Panama it is found mostly in humid areas where it favors semi-open areas such as the edges of forest, clearings and pastures with trees, and gardens. In Panama it occurs mostly in drier areas such as scrublands but also on dry forest edge and in clearings and pastures with trees. Two sources state that its upper elevation limit is about 900 m (3,000 ft) though one of them notes that it also rarely reaches 1,900 m (6,200 ft) in Panama. Another states that it reaches 1,200 m (3,900 ft) in Costa Rica.

The yellow-crowned euphonia feeds primarily on the fruits of mistletoe (Loranthaceae) and other small fruits, and probably also includes small numbers of insects in its diet. It forages mostly singly, in pairs, and small groups. It wanders widely to find fruiting trees and may share them with other species. It forages mostly in the treetops.