Yellow-crowned Elaenia

Overview

The yellow-crowned elaenia (Myiopagis flavivertex) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, although its population size is believed to be decreasing. The species has a disjunct distribution across South America and is generally overlooked until its distinctive voice is known.

Identification

• Length of 12.5 to 13 cm with a weight of approximately 12 g, featuring a dark brownish olive crown with a large, partially concealed bright yellow central stripe.
• Upperparts are olive with dusky wings that have bright yellow edges on inner flight feathers and coverts, forming two bars on the closed wing.
• Throat is whitish, the breast is yellow with an olive wash, and the belly is bright yellow, accompanied by a short black bill with a pinkish base.
• Song described as a high sweeping note followed by a short downslurred shiver and decelerating sounds, totalled as 'chee srrr-wee-tju'.

Habitat

Found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, primarily inhabiting várzea and swampy flooded forests along large watercourses. In Venezuela and the Guianas, it also occupies flooded forest growing on sandy soils, ranging in elevation from sea level up to about 300 m.

Diet

The diet includes insects, captured by short sallies from a perch in the forest understory to mid-story. The bird typically forages singly or in pairs and seldom joins mixed-species feeding flocks.

Did you know?

The species is generally overlooked by observers until its voice is known.