Photo: Nick Athanas / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rufous-crowned Elaenia
Elaenia ruficeps
Rufous-crowned Elaenia (Elaenia ruficeps) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Rufous-crowned Elaenia (Elaenia ruficeps) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 18.7 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 ruficeps
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rufous-crowned Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Rufous-crowned Elaenia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Rufous-crowned Elaenia (Elaenia ruficeps) belongs to the Tyrannidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA n Amazonia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.7 g, with a wing length of about 6.6 cm and a tail of around 5.5 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 709,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rufous-crowned Elaenia?
The Rufous-crowned Elaenia is a small bird that weighs around 18.7 g.
Where does the Rufous-crowned Elaenia live?
The Rufous-crowned Elaenia is found across South America with a range covering SA n Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Rufous-crowned Elaenia belong to?
The Rufous-crowned Elaenia (Elaenia ruficeps) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Rufous-crowned Elaenia eat?
The Rufous-crowned Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rufous-crowned Elaenia migrate?
The Rufous-crowned Elaenia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Rufous-crowned 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 Rufous-crowned Elaenia make?
1 real field recording of the Rufous-crowned Elaenia — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Rufous-crowned Elaenia's range?
The Rufous-crowned Elaenia has a mapped global range of about 709,000 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.