Mottle-backed Elaenia

Overview

The mottle-backed elaenia (Elaenia gigas) is a large bird in the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae. It is a year-round resident found in the Andean foothills of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Identification

• Length of 17.5 to 18.5 cm with a prominent split crest that can resemble horns.
• Olive-brown upperparts with pale green-olive feather edges creating a mottled appearance, and two white bars on the closed wings.
• Gray underparts with olive streaks on the breast and flanks, and a pale yellow belly.
• A black bill with a dull pinkish base, black legs, and a faint whitish eyering.

Habitat

This species inhabits the eastern base of the Andes, ranging from southern Colombia through eastern Ecuador and Peru into western Bolivia. It prefers landscapes in early stages of succession, such as riparian bands, regenerating landslides, and abandoned clearings, typically between 250 and 1,250 m in elevation.

Diet

It feeds on insects and small fruits, foraging singly or in pairs between 3 and 20 m above the ground. Foraging methods include gleaning from perches, briefly hovering, and capturing flying insects on the wing.

Did you know?

The species is possibly extending its range as a result of deforestation. A single described nest was suspended 13 m up a tree branch, woven from pale rootlets with no lining or external additions.