Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Highland Elaenia
Elaenia obscura
Highland Elaenia (Elaenia obscura) — 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 Highland Elaenia (Elaenia obscura) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 23.9 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 obscura
Quick facts
- Weight
- 23.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Highland 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 Highland Elaenia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Highland Elaenia (Elaenia obscura) is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA se Ecuador to Bolivia and nw Argentina.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 23.9 g, with a wing length of about 8.5 cm and a tail of around 8.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 327,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Highland Elaenia?
The Highland Elaenia is a small bird that weighs around 23.9 g.
Where does the Highland Elaenia live?
The Highland Elaenia is found across South America with a range covering SA se Ecuador to Bolivia and nw Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Highland Elaenia belong to?
The Highland Elaenia (Elaenia obscura) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Highland Elaenia eat?
The Highland Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Highland Elaenia migrate?
The Highland Elaenia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Highland 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 Highland Elaenia make?
1 real field recording of the Highland Elaenia — including its dawn song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Highland Elaenia's range?
The Highland Elaenia has a mapped global range of about 327,000 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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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.