The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) occur throughout North and South America. They are now considered the largest family of birds on Earth, with around 400 species. As could be expected from a family this large, the members vary greatly in habitat, shape, patterns and colors. Some Tyrant flycatchers superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers. Most, but not all, are rather plain, and many have erectile crests. Most are insectivorous, but some will eat fruit or small vertebrates.
The Tyrannidae family is presented in these web pages:
1) Tyrants, Black-Tyrants, Tit-Tyrants 2) Pygmy Tyrants, Tody-Flycatchers, Tody-Tyrants
3) Tyrants, Bush-Tyrants, Chat-Tyrants, Ground-Tyrants, Shrike Tyrants; Monjitas
4) Tyrannulets 5) Doradito, Elaenia, Tachuri
6) Flycatchers, Spadebills, Twistwings 7) Flycatchers, Pewees, Phoebes
8) Flycatchers, Attilas, Flatbills, Sirystes 9) Flycatchers, Kingbirds, Kiskadees
Doradito, Elaenia, Tachuri
Genus Elaenia
Elaenia flycatchers have typically brownish, grayish or olive upperparts; off-white and/or pale yellow underparts; white or pale yellowish eye-ring; two or three wing bars. Some species show a crest; often with a semi-concealed white patch/streak.
Elaenia,_Brownish Elaenia pelzelni Found: Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru
The Brownish Elaenia has mainly dull brown upperparts; brownish-white wing-bars; whitish underparts.;
Image by:
1 Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Anselmo_d'Affonseca in Brazil 2) Hector_Bottai - Brazil
Elaenia, Caribbean Elaenia martinica Found: Central America and Caribbean
The Caribbean Elaenia has olive-green upperparts; indistinct supercilium; grayish breast; yellowish-gray belly; 2 pale white wing-bars.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) New Jersy Birds
Elaenia,_Great Elaenia dayi Found: mainly Venezuela; also Guyana
The Great Elaenia has gray-brown upperparts; black crown; thin white eye-ring; two white wing-bars; pale olive-gray underparts.
Image by:
1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Thiago_Laranjeiras, Jose_Almir_Jacomelli
Elaenia,_Greater_Antillean Elaenia fallax Found: Dominican, Haiti, Jamaica
Similar to: Jamaican Elaenia. Jamaican Elaenia has a slaty crown; Greater Antillean Elaenia has a green crown.
Image by:
1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Dax_Roman 2) Dominic_Sherony 3) Ron_Knight
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Elaenia,_Highland Elaenia obscura Found: Ecuador to Agentina; disjoint population Brazil, Paraguay
The Highland Elaenia has brownish-olve upperparts; yellowish underparts; negligible eye-ring.
It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
Image by: 1) Claudio Timm 2, 3) Nick Athanas - Brazil, ArgentinaIt is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
Elaenia,_Large Elaenia spectabilis Found: Brazil and surrounding countries
Image by: 1) Claudio_Timm 2) Carlos de Almeida
Elaenia,_Lesser Elaenia chiriquensis Found: Central and South Amercia
The Lesser Elaenia has dull green upperparts; small white crown patch; light olive breast; off-white belly; flanks and undertail coverts often tinged with pale yellow; bold eye-rings; 2 wing-bars.
Similar to: White-crested Elaenia. Lesser Elaenia has more extensive yellow on the underparts. White-crested Elaenia has more predominent white crest and tends to be darker than Lesser Elaenia.
Similar to: Yellow-bellied Elaenia. Lesser Elaenia is slightly smaller; Yellow-bellied Elaenia has larger crest.
Image by: 1) Dominic Sherony - Panama 2. 3) Charles_Sharp - PanamaSimilar to: White-crested Elaenia. Lesser Elaenia has more extensive yellow on the underparts. White-crested Elaenia has more predominent white crest and tends to be darker than Lesser Elaenia.
Similar to: Yellow-bellied Elaenia. Lesser Elaenia is slightly smaller; Yellow-bellied Elaenia has larger crest.
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Elaenia, Mottle-backed Elaenia gigas Found: South America
The Mottle-backed Elaenia has olive upperparts, breast; yellowish belly; split crest that helps make visible white crown.
It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Similar to: Yellow-bellied Elaenia. Mottle-backed Elaenia has olive breast; Yellow-bellied Elaenia has gray breast.
ImageImage by: by: 1, 2, 3) Dick Daniels - EcuadorSimilar to: Yellow-bellied Elaenia. Mottle-backed Elaenia has olive breast; Yellow-bellied Elaenia has gray breast.
Elaenia, Mountain Elaenia frantzii Found: Cental and South America
The Mountain Elaenia has dull olive upperparts; dusky wings with 2 off-white wing-bars; faint eye-ring; yellowish-gray throat, breast; more yellowish belly.
Image by: 1, 3) Dave Curtis - Columbia 2) Dick Daniels - Boquette, Panama 4) Felix_Uribe - Columbia
Elaenia,_Noronha Elaenia ridleyana Found: island of Fernando de Noronha (Brazil)
Image by: 1) Marco_Cruz
Elaenia,_Olivaceous Elaenia mesoleuca Found: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay
The Olivaceous Elaenia has olivaceous upperparts; gray underparts; olive flanks; 2 off-white wing-bars; brown tail.
Image by: 1, 2) Cláudio Timm 3) Nick Athanas - Brazil
Elaenia,_Plain-crested Elaenia cristata Found:Brazil, Colombia, Guianas, Peru, Venezuela.
The Plain-crested Elaenia has olive-brown upperparts; 2 white wing-bars; pale buff underparts.
Image by:
1) Nick Athanas - Venezuela 2, 3) Claudio_Timm
Elaenia,_Rufous-crowned Elaenia ruficeps Found: Brazil, Columbia, the Guianas, Venezuela
The Rufous-crowned Elaenia has olive upperparts; hard to see rufous hind-crown patch; white arc above eye;
Image by:
1) Barloventomagico 2) Nick_Athanas - Suriname
Elaenia,_Sierran Elaenia pallatangae Found: Columbia to Bolivia; also Guyana, Venezuela
The Sierran Elaenia has olive upperparts; darker olive-gray wings; 2 whitish wing-bars; pale gray throat; pale yellow-olive underparts.
Image by:
1) Francesco_Veronesi 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Carlos_Calle in Peru
Elaenia,_Slaty Elaenia strepera Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela
The male Slaty Elaenia has slty-gray upperparts; paler underparts. Female olive-gray upperparts; yellowish underparts.
Image by:
1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Diego Oscar in Argentian 2) Nick Athanas - Argentina
Elaenia,_Small-billed Elaenia parvirostris Found: South America
The Small-billed Elaenia has relatively prominent white eye-rings; white crown stripe that is often hidden; paler underparts than most elaenias; 3 wing-bars.
Similar to: White-crested Elaenia. The Small-billed Elaenia has a shorter bill than the White-crested Elaenia and lacks a white crest. The White-crested Elaenia has darker underparts.
Image by: 1) Carlos_Henrique - Brazil 2) Nick Athanas - Argentina 3) Cláudio
Timm - Brazil 4) Barloventomagico - VenezuelaSimilar to: White-crested Elaenia. The Small-billed Elaenia has a shorter bill than the White-crested Elaenia and lacks a white crest. The White-crested Elaenia has darker underparts.
Elaenia,_White-crested Elaenia albiceps Found: South America
The White-crested Elaenia has dull green upperparts; often prominent white crown patch; olive breast; off-white belly; flanks and undertail coverts often tinged with pale yellow; pale eye-rings; 2 wing-bars.
Similar to: Lesser Elaenia. Lesser Elaenia has more extensive yellow on the underparts. White-crested Elaenia has more predominent white crest and tends to be darker than Lesser Elaenia.
Similar to: Small-billed Elaenia. The Small-billed Elaenia has a shorter bill than the White-crested Elaenia and lacks a white crest. The White-crested Elaenia has darker underparts.
Image by: 1) Jorge Cardena - Chile 2) Charlie Westerinen - Tierra del Fuego 3, 4) Nick Athanas - Argentina, EcuadorSimilar to: Lesser Elaenia. Lesser Elaenia has more extensive yellow on the underparts. White-crested Elaenia has more predominent white crest and tends to be darker than Lesser Elaenia.
Similar to: Small-billed Elaenia. The Small-billed Elaenia has a shorter bill than the White-crested Elaenia and lacks a white crest. The White-crested Elaenia has darker underparts.
Elaenia,_Yellow-bellied Elaenia flavogaster Found: Central and South America
Yellow-bellied Elaenia has gray breast; yellow tinged belly; 2 white wing-bars; white eye-rings; pale lores; large bushy crest.
Similar to: Lesser Elaenia. Lesser Elaenia is slightly smaller; Yellow-bellied Elaenia has larger crest.
Similar to: Mottle-backed Elaenia. Mottle-backed Elaenia has olive breast; Yellow-bellied Elaenia has gray breast.
Image by: 1, 2)
Dario Sanches 3, 4) Nick Athanas - Mexico, PanamaSimilar to: Lesser Elaenia. Lesser Elaenia is slightly smaller; Yellow-bellied Elaenia has larger crest.
Similar to: Mottle-backed Elaenia. Mottle-backed Elaenia has olive breast; Yellow-bellied Elaenia has gray breast.
Genus Myiopagis
Myiopagis are small tyrant flycathers with a relatively small bill and relatively long tail. Most species have wing bars and a concealed white or yellow patch in the center of crown.
Elaenia,_Foothill Myiopagis olallai Found: Ecuador, Peru
The Foothill Elaenia has mainly olive upperparts; pale yellow wing-bars; white throat; yellow underparts.
Image by:
1) Andres_Cuervo.jpg){kind=link}
Elaenia, Gray Myiopagis caniceps Found: South America
The male Gray Elaenia has gray upperparts; light gray breast; white belly; whitish eye-ring; white wing-bars. Female has olive back; yellow wing-bars.
Similar to: Suiriri Flycatcher. Suririri Flycatcher has olive wash on its gray back; male Gray Elaenia has no olive on its gray back.
Image by: 1) Jorge Montejo - Brazil 2) Charlie Westerinen - Argentina 3) Nick Athanas - BrazilSimilar to: Suiriri Flycatcher. Suririri Flycatcher has olive wash on its gray back; male Gray Elaenia has no olive on its gray back.
Elaenia,_Greenish Myiopagis viridicata Found: Mexico to southern Argentina and Brazil
There are approximately 10 subspecies of the Greenish Elaenia. All have short bill; gray throat; no wing-bars; pale yellow belly; yellow crown patch (usually hidden)
Image by:
1) Jorge_Montejo - Mexico 2) Alastair_Rae 3) Hector_Bottai - Brazil 4) Jerry_Oldenettel - Mexico 5) Ron_Knight
Elaenia, Jamaican Myiopagis cotta Found: Jamaica
Similar to: Greater Antillean Elaenia. Jamaican Elaenia has a slaty crown; Greater Antillean Elaenia has a green crown.
Image by: 1) Dominic Sherony 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Dave_Irving
Elaenia,_Pacific Myiopagis subplacens Found: western Ecuador, northwest Peru
The Pacific Elaenia has olive upperparts; whitish supercilium, throat; dull wings with yellowish secondary edges; gray breast; yellowish belly..
Image by:
1) David_Cook - Peru 2) Nick Athanas - Ecuador
Elaenia,_Yellow-crowned Myiopagis flavivertex Found: northern Amazonia and the Guianas
The Yellow-crowned Elaenia has olive upperparts, breast; yellow crown patch (often hidden); yellow belly.
Image by:
1, 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Sam_Woods in Ecuador, Kurazo_Okada in Brazil
Genus Polystictus
Tachuri,_Bearded Polystictus pectoralis Found: South America
The Bearded Tachur has cinnamon-brown upperparts; buffy underparts; cinnamon flanks; 2 light wing-bars. Male has black head.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Guyana 2, 3) Cláudio Timm - Argentina
1, 2, 3) Female
Tachuri,_Gray-backed Polystictus superciliaris Found: eastern Brazil
The Gray-backed Tachuri has grayish-brown back; gray head; white lores; orange-buff underparts.
Image by:
1) Nick Athanas - Brazil 2) Claudio_Timm - Brazil 3) Carlos_Henrique
Genus Pseudocolopteryx
These South American species are mainly found in marshy habitats.
Doradito,_Crested Pseudocolopteryx sclateri Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela
The Crested Doradito has olive upperparts; yellow underparts; short crest.
Image by:
1, 2) Claudio_Timm
Doradito,_Dinelli's Pseudocolopteryx dinelliana Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay
Image by: 1) Hector_Bottai - Argentina 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Graham Ekins 3) Claudio_Timm
Doradito,_Subtropical Pseudocolopteryx acutipennis Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru
The Subtropical Doraito has bright olive upperparts; yellow underparts.
Image by:
1) Nick Athanas - Ecuador 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Nino_Grangetto
Doradito,_Ticking Pseudocolopteryx citreola Found: Argentina, Chile
The Ticking Doradito is essentially physically similar to the Warblin Doradito.
Image by:
1. 2) Diego_Arellano Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Jose_Canas, Fabrice_Schmitt
Doradito,_Warbling Pseudocolopteryx flaviventris Found: Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay southern Brazil.
The Warbling Doradito has dull olive-brown upperparts; rufous crown patch; bright yellow underparts.
Image by:
1, 2) Dominic Sherony
