Bird Album
Plain-crested Elaenia
Elaenia cristata Pelzeln, 1868
12–15 cmLength18 gWeight
The plain-crested elaenia (Elaenia cristata) is a species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers.
Busiest months: August–October · Most records: Brazil, Guyana, Suriname
Where and when it's recorded
Plain-crested Elaenia has been recorded at 85 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Botumirim – Reserva Natural Rolinha-do-planaltoBrazil568 records
- Pousada TrijunçãoBrazil507 records
- Surama EcoLodgeGuyana184 records
More places
- PN Chapada dos GuimarãesBrazil167 records
- PN Chapada dos Guimarães – Pousada do ParqueBrazil125 records
- Fazenda Água LimpaBrazil122 records
- Pompéu – apenas listas históricasBrazil111 records
- PN Serra da CanastraBrazil105 records
- PARNA das EmasBrazil93 records
- Surama EcoLodge – Borro Borro TrailGuyana73 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The plain-crested elaenia (Elaenia cristata) is a species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Plain-crested Elaenia?
The Plain-crested Elaenia is about 12–15 cm long and weighs around 18 g.
Where does the Plain-crested Elaenia live?
Its breeding range: South America: northeastern, eastern. It is most often recorded in Brazil, Guyana and Suriname.
When is the best time to see the Plain-crested Elaenia?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in August, September and October (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Plain-crested Elaenia endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Plain-crested Elaenia as Least Concern.
What does the Plain-crested Elaenia eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Plain-crested Elaenia in?
It belongs to the family Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura (Tyrannidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 12–15 cm
- Weight
- 18 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 66 mm
- Tail
- 56 mm
- Bill
- 13 mm
- Tarsus
- 19 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: northeastern, eastern
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Elaenia
Other birds in the genus Elaenia
Yellow-bellied ElaeniaElaenia flavogaster
Caribbean ElaeniaElaenia martinica
Large ElaeniaElaenia spectabilis
Noronha ElaeniaElaenia ridleyana
White-crested ElaeniaElaenia albiceps
Chilean ElaeniaElaenia chilensis
Small-billed ElaeniaElaenia parvirostris
Olivaceous ElaeniaElaenia mesoleuca
Slaty ElaeniaElaenia strepera
Mottle-backed ElaeniaElaenia gigas
Brownish ElaeniaElaenia pelzelni
Lesser ElaeniaElaenia chiriquensis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Josh van der Meulen. ↗
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