Image via Macaulay Library
Small-billed Elaenia
- Scientific name
- Elaenia parvirostris
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Conservation status
- Least concern
- Habitat
- Forest mixed
- Wing shape
- Rounded
- Tail shape
- Notched
Where it came from
The Small-billed Elaenia (Elaenia parvirostris) is a member of the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae, and is widely distributed across South America. It is a migratory species, breeding in the southern part of the continent before moving northward to the Amazon basin during the austral winter. Its taxonomy is defined by its specific morphological traits, most notably its small, rounded wings and a distinctively notched tail, which assist in its agile, insect-catching flight patterns within forest canopies and woodland edges.
The species was formally described by German naturalist August von Pelzeln in 1868. Ornithological classification of the Elaenia genus has historically been challenging due to the subtle physical variations between closely related species. The Small-billed Elaenia is particularly noted by field researchers for its inconspicuous appearance and the reliance on vocalization—specifically its repetitive, piercing song—as the primary method for identification in the field, distinguishing it from other similar flycatchers sharing its habitat.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
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About Small-billed Elaenia
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