Great Elaenia
Elaenia dayi
Great Elaenia (Elaenia dayi) — 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 Great Elaenia (Elaenia dayi) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 34.5 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 dayi
Quick facts
- Weight
- 34.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Great Elaenia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Great Elaenia (Elaenia dayi) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA tepuis.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 34.5 g, with a wing length of about 9.7 cm and a tail of around 9.8 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 27,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Elaenia?
The Great Elaenia is a small bird that weighs around 34.5 g.
Where does the Great Elaenia live?
The Great Elaenia is found across South America with a range covering SA tepuis, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Great Elaenia belong to?
The Great Elaenia (Elaenia dayi) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Great Elaenia eat?
The Great Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Great Elaenia migrate?
The Great Elaenia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Great 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 Great Elaenia make?
1 real field recording of the Great 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 Great Elaenia's range?
The Great Elaenia has a mapped global range of about 27,000 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
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.