Mottle-backed Elaenia
Elaenia gigas
The mottle-backed elaenia is 17.5 to 18.5 cm (6.9 to 7.3 in) long. It is a large elaenia with a prominent split crest that can look like horns. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have an olive-brown head with lighter cheeks, a faint whitish eyering, and a large white patch on the crown. Their upperparts are olive-brown with paler green-olive edges on the back feathers that give a mottled or streaked appearance. 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 mottle-backed elaenia's dawn song is " 'wurdit' or 'purdip' given repeatedly from top of low tree or bush". Its calls include "a martin-like 'direet' and a shrill 'pert-chéér' ".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Small-headed Elaenia
Elaenia sordida
The small-headed elaenia is 16 to 20 cm (6.3 to 7.9 in) long and weighs 24 to 34.5 g (0.85 to 1.2 oz). It is a large elaenia without a crest. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a dark olive head with lighter cheeks, a dusky loral spot, and a thin whitish eyering. Their upperparts are dark olive. Their wings are mostly dusky with pale edges on the flight feathers. The tips of their wing coverts are whitish to yellowish and show as two bars on the closed wing. Their tail is dusky with white tips on unworn feathers. Voice: The small-headed elaenia's song is a "high, melodious 'the-weedrr-wee-der-wee' " and its call a "nasal 'rrree' ".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Mottle-backed Elaenia and Small-headed Elaenia.