Rufous-crowned Elaenia

About the Rufous-crowned Elaenia

The rufous-crowned elaenia (Elaenia ruficeps) is a species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. The rufous-crowned elaenia is monotypic. It and the plain-crested elaenia (E. cristata) are probably sister species.

The rufous-crowned elaenia is about 14.5 to 15 cm (5.7 to 5.9 in) long and weighs about 19 g (0.67 oz). It is a small elaenia with a small but distinctively colored crest. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a dark olive-brown head with lighter cheeks, a faint whitish supercilium, and a thin whitish eyering. Their crown has a rufous patch that is usually concealed but is sometimes visible at the rear of the crest. Their upperparts are dark olive-brown. Their wings are mostly dusky with pale edges on the flight feathers. The tips of their wing coverts are whitish and show as two bars on the closed wing. Their tail is dusky. Their underparts are mostly pale yellow with some grayish olive streaks on the throat, breast, and flanks; their belly and undertail coverts are unmarked. Both sexes have a dark... Wikipedia →