Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Forest Elaenia
Myiopagis gaimardii
Forest Elaenia (Myiopagis gaimardii) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Forest Elaenia (Myiopagis gaimardii) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 12 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 Myiopagis
- Species gaimardii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Forest Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Forest Elaenia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Forest Elaenia (Myiopagis gaimardii) is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Panama through Amazonia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12 g, with a wing length of about 5.7 cm and a tail of around 5.3 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 8.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Forest Elaenia?
The Forest Elaenia is a very small bird that weighs around 12 g.
Where does the Forest Elaenia live?
The Forest Elaenia is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Panama through Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Forest Elaenia belong to?
The Forest Elaenia (Myiopagis gaimardii) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Forest Elaenia eat?
The Forest Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Forest Elaenia migrate?
The Forest Elaenia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Forest 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 Forest Elaenia make?
1 real field recording of the Forest 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 Forest Elaenia's range?
The Forest Elaenia has a mapped global range of about 8.7 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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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.