Photo: John Gerrard Keulemans / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Elegant Crescentchest
Melanopareia elegans
Elegant Crescentchest (Melanopareia elegans) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Elegant Crescentchest (Melanopareia elegans) is a member of the Melanopareiidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 16 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 Melanopareiidae Crescentchests
- Genus Melanopareia
- Species elegans
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Melanopareiidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Elegant Crescentchest is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense woodland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Elegant Crescentchest is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Elegant Crescentchest (Melanopareia elegans) is a member of the Melanopareiidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA w Ecuador and nw Peru.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16 g, with a wing length of about 5.3 cm and a tail of around 5.8 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 81,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Elegant Crescentchest?
The Elegant Crescentchest is a small bird that weighs around 16 g.
Where does the Elegant Crescentchest live?
The Elegant Crescentchest is found across South America with a range covering SA w Ecuador and nw Peru, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Elegant Crescentchest belong to?
The Elegant Crescentchest (Melanopareia elegans) belongs to the Melanopareiidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Elegant Crescentchest eat?
The Elegant Crescentchest is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Elegant Crescentchest migrate?
The Elegant Crescentchest is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Elegant Crescentchest 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 Elegant Crescentchest make?
1 real field recording of the Elegant Crescentchest — 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 Elegant Crescentchest's range?
The Elegant Crescentchest has a mapped global range of about 81,000 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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