Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Lesser Elaenia
Elaenia chiriquensis
Lesser Elaenia (Elaenia chiriquensis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Lesser Elaenia (Elaenia chiriquensis) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 15.4 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 chiriquensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15.4 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Lesser Elaenia is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Lesser Elaenia is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Lesser Elaenia (Elaenia chiriquensis) belongs to the Tyrannidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to ne Argentina.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 15.4 g, with a wing length of about 7.2 cm and a tail of around 6.2 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 7.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Lesser Elaenia?
The Lesser Elaenia is a small bird that weighs around 15.4 g.
Where does the Lesser Elaenia live?
The Lesser Elaenia is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to ne Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Lesser Elaenia belong to?
The Lesser Elaenia (Elaenia chiriquensis) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Lesser Elaenia eat?
The Lesser Elaenia is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Lesser Elaenia migrate?
The Lesser Elaenia is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Lesser 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 Lesser Elaenia make?
1 real field recording of the Lesser 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 Lesser Elaenia's range?
The Lesser Elaenia has a mapped global range of about 7.2 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
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.