Plain-crested Elaenia vs Small-headed Elaenia

Plain-crested Elaenia

Elaenia cristata

Small18 gShrubland

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

Photo: Audrey Whitlock · CC BY 4.0

Small-headed Elaenia

Elaenia sordida

Small24 gForest

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

Photo: Audrey Whitlock · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Plain-crested Elaenia and Small-headed Elaenia.