Photo: TonyCastro / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Mottle-backed Elaenia
Elaenia gigas
Mottle-backed Elaenia (Elaenia gigas) — 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 Mottle-backed Elaenia (Elaenia gigas) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 31 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 gigas
Quick facts
- Weight
- 31 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Mottle-backed Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Mottle-backed Elaenia is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Mottle-backed Elaenia (Elaenia gigas) is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA s Colombia to w Bolivia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 31 g, with a wing length of about 9 cm and a tail of around 7.4 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 475,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Mottle-backed Elaenia?
The Mottle-backed Elaenia is a small bird that weighs around 31 g.
Where does the Mottle-backed Elaenia live?
The Mottle-backed Elaenia is found across South America with a range covering SA s Colombia to w Bolivia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Mottle-backed Elaenia belong to?
The Mottle-backed Elaenia (Elaenia gigas) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Mottle-backed Elaenia eat?
The Mottle-backed Elaenia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Mottle-backed Elaenia migrate?
The Mottle-backed Elaenia is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Mottle-backed 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 Mottle-backed Elaenia make?
1 real field recording of the Mottle-backed 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 Mottle-backed Elaenia's range?
The Mottle-backed Elaenia has a mapped global range of about 475,000 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.