Photo: Carlos Henrique Luz Nunes de Almeida / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Large Elaenia
Elaenia spectabilis
Large Elaenia (Elaenia spectabilis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Large Elaenia (Elaenia spectabilis) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 27.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Tyrannidae Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura
- Genus Elaenia
- Species spectabilis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 27.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Large Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Large Elaenia is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Large Elaenia (Elaenia spectabilis) belongs to the Tyrannidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA w Amazonia to e Brazil and c Bolivia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27.3 g, with a wing length of about 8.2 cm and a tail of around 7.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Large Elaenia?
The Large Elaenia is a small bird that weighs around 27.3 g.
Where does the Large Elaenia live?
The Large Elaenia is found across South America with a range covering SA w Amazonia to e Brazil and c Bolivia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Large Elaenia belong to?
The Large Elaenia (Elaenia spectabilis) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Large Elaenia eat?
The Large Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Large Elaenia migrate?
The Large Elaenia is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Large Elaenia endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Large Elaenia make?
1 real field recording of the Large Elaenia — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Large Elaenia's range?
The Large Elaenia has a mapped global range of about 2.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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Meet the Tyrannidae
A field guide to the Tyrannidae family — 444 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.