Lesser Elaenia
Elaenia chiriquensis
The lesser elaenia is 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in) long and weighs 11.5 to 22 g (0.41 to 0.78 oz). It is a small elaenia with a small squarish crest. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a grayish olive head with lighter cheeks, a thin whitish eyering, and a partially hidden white patch on the crown. Their upperparts are grayish olive. Their wings are mostly dusky with whitish edges on the flight feathers. The tips of the coverts are white and show as two wide bars on the closed wing. Their tail is dusky. Voice: The lesser elaenia's dawn song is a "very high, hurried, 'tju-wee tju-weederwee' " whose "wee" notes are higher than the others. It has many calls including "a clear, whistled 'weeééa' " and a "burry 'beer-ta' or 'chí-bur' or 'jwebu' ", and "a longer 'freee' ".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Plain-crested Elaenia
Elaenia cristata
The plain-crested elaenia is 12.5 to 15 cm (4.9 to 5.9 in) long and weighs about 18 g (0.63 oz). It is a small elaenia with a conspicuous crest. The two subspecies and the sexes have essentially the same plumage. Adults have a dull olive-brown head with lighter brown cheeks and a thin whitish eyering. Their upperparts are dull olive-brown. Their wings are mostly dusky; the flight feathers have whitish edges and the tips of the coverts are whitish. The latter show as two bars on the closed wing. Their tail is dusky. Voice: The plain-crested elaenia's song is a "raspy 'zree-zree-zuzu' or 'zreeeh dudu' and variations thereof". Its calls include a "soft melodious 'wee' ", a "short rattle as 'wee'he'he'he'he' ", a "low 'wheesp' or 'wheeb' ", and a "rising and then falling 'dsooty-ééo' ".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Lesser Elaenia and Plain-crested Elaenia.