Yellow-bellied Elaenia

Overview

The yellow-bellied elaenia is a small tyrant flycatcher found across the Americas. It has a very large range, occurring in Mexico, all of Central America, most of South America, and several Caribbean islands. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN and is generally stable in population size.

Identification

• A medium-sized bird measuring 15–17 cm in length with a small head and a bushy crest.
• Plumage is brownish olive on the upperparts with a white stripe in the middle of the crest, whitish lores, and a faint eyering; the belly is yellow, pale yellow, or whitish.
• Both sexes have a dark brown iris, a black bill with a paler base to the mandible, and black legs and feet.
• The dawn song is described as a leisurely, buzzy 'spud-deeer' or a 'trr-dyeéuw', while calls include a hoarse 'breeer' and a repeated 'wreek-kreeup'.

Habitat

This species inhabits a variety of habitats ranging from arid to humid environments that are lightly wooded. It shuns dense forest interiors but uses edges, savannas, scrublands, secondary forests, and suburban parks. Its distribution extends from southeastern Mexico through all of Central America and mainland South America (excluding Chile) to Trinidad and Tobago and the Lesser Antilles.

Diet

The yellow-bellied elaenia feeds on insects and berries, foraging mainly in the lower to middle levels of its habitat. It captures prey by gleaning while perched, hovering, or making aerial sallies, and often forages singly or in pairs, though it occasionally joins mixed-species flocks.

Did you know?

Nest predation by the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) has been observed. The nest is typically a cup of moss and grass placed in a small branch fork, lined with feathers.