Mottle-backed Elaenia
NameMottle-backed Elaenia
Common NameMottle-backed Elaenia
Scientific NameElaenia obscura
FamilyTyrannidae
Wingspan (cm)20
Length (cm)16
Weight (g)20
Plumage DetailsUpperparts are olive-brown, often appearing mottled or streaked on the back. The underparts are pale yellowish-olive, with a whiter throat. It has two pale wing-bars and a prominent, often bushy crest with a concealed white central stripe.
Vocalization / CallIts vocalizations include a distinctive, often repeated 'pee-weee' or 'pwee-pwee-pwee' song, and various soft 'chip' or 'whit' calls.
Primary Dietomnivore
Primary Habitatsforest, mountain
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeFound in humid montane forests of South America, primarily in the Andes from southern Colombia south through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and into northwestern Argentina.
Identifying FeaturesBushy crest with white central stripe, Olive-brown upperparts with mottled appearance, Pale yellowish-olive underparts, Two pale wing-bars, Small, drab flycatcher appearance
Description
The Mottle-backed Elaenia is a small, drab flycatcher with a distinctive bushy crest often showing a white central stripe. It typically forages for insects and fruits in the mid-story and canopy of humid montane forests.
