Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Plain-crested Elaenia
Elaenia cristata
Plain-crested Elaenia (Elaenia cristata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Plain-crested Elaenia (Elaenia cristata) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 18.2 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 cristata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Plain-crested Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Plain-crested Elaenia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Plain-crested Elaenia (Elaenia cristata) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA ne, e.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.2 g, with a wing length of about 6.6 cm and a tail of around 5.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 5.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Plain-crested Elaenia?
The Plain-crested Elaenia is a small bird that weighs around 18.2 g.
Where does the Plain-crested Elaenia live?
The Plain-crested Elaenia is found across South America with a range covering SA ne, e, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Plain-crested Elaenia belong to?
The Plain-crested Elaenia (Elaenia cristata) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Plain-crested Elaenia eat?
The Plain-crested Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Plain-crested Elaenia migrate?
The Plain-crested Elaenia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Plain-crested 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 Plain-crested Elaenia make?
1 real field recording of the Plain-crested Elaenia — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Plain-crested Elaenia's range?
The Plain-crested Elaenia has a mapped global range of about 5.1 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.
Explore more birds
More in Tyrannidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Not Evaluated
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Tyrannidae
A field guide to the Tyrannidae family — 444 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.