Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed)

Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed)

Myiopagis caniceps

Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Brasilia

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

7 Verified sightings at Brasilia
1,164 In all 10 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed)

The grey-headed elaenia or Atlantic grey elaenia (Myiopagis caniceps) is a species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. What is now the grey-headed elaenia was originally called the "straw-crested flycatcher" (Tyrannula caniceps). It was later moved into genus Myiopagis and called the grey elaenia. Soon thereafter Myiopagis was merged into genus Elaenia and other taxa were moved from species status to become subspecies of it. The move into Elaenia was reversed in the mid-twentieth century, and Myiopagis was confirmed by genetic analysis to be the grey elaenia's proper genus.

The grey-headed elaenia's further taxonomy is unsettled. These systems named the three species the grey(gray)-headed... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:21

Brazil · 2026

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC1162212 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:45

Brazil · 2026

© Robson Silva e Silva · XC1084279 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:11

Brazil · 2022

© Nunes D´Acosta · XC723749 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
2 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
3 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
4 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
5 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
6 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
7 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
8 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
9 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
10 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Goiânia 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
2 Belo Horizonte 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
3 Brasilia 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed) in Brasilia?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed) sighting in Brasilia on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 132nd most-seen of the 141 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed) in Brasilia?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed) in Brasilia on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed)?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed) sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Brasilia the best place to see a Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed)?

Among the best

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed) sightings, Brasilia ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Goiânia (Brazil, under 5%) and Belo Horizonte (Brazil, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed) live in Brasilia?

Same family: Tyrannidae

The closest relatives of the Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed) that you can see in Brasilia (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Great Kiskadee (about 90%), Tropical Kingbird (about 60%) and Boat-billed Flycatcher (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed) sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Gray Elaenia (Gray-headed) is recorded against all the birds logged in Brasilia (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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