Elaenia cristata
The Plain-crested Elaenia (*Elaenia cristata*) is a diminutive yet widespread tyrant-flycatcher, a true jewel of the Neotropics. Measuring approximately 13-14 cm (5.1-5.5 inches) in length and weighing around 12-16 grams, it presents a subtle elegance with its olive-green upperparts, dull whitish underparts, and distinct white wing-bars. Its namesake plain crest is often slightly raised, giving the head a rounded appearance, and a faint whitish supercilium alongside a broken white eye-ring fu...
This adaptable species primarily inhabits open woodlands, savanna, dry scrub, gallery forests, and deforested areas, typically found from sea level up to 1500 meters (4,900 feet) in elevation.
The diet of the Plain-crested Elaenia is omnivorous, consisting primarily of small flying insects caught in aerial sallies or gleaned from vegetation, supplemented by a significant intake of small fruits and berries.
The Plain-crested Elaenia is a diurnal bird, actively foraging throughout the day from prominent perches and often roosting inconspicuously within dense foliage at night. Its foraging strategy is typical of many flycatchers, primarily involving short, aerial sallies to capture flying insects, but...
The Plain-crested Elaenia boasts an extensive distribution across northern and central South America, with a primary breeding and year-round resident range extending from eastern Panama through Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas, south through eastern Peru and Bolivia, and across much of Brazil...
Least Concern
- The Plain-crested Elaenia's "plain" crest is actually often slightly raised, giving its head a distinctive rounded shape that can be a subtle identification cue. - Despite its widespread distribution across much of South America, its subtle plumage and similar appearance to other *Elaenia* spec...