Lesser Elaenia

Lesser Elaenia

Elaenia chiriquensis

Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at João Pessoa

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

6 Verified sightings at João Pessoa
1,131 In all 16 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Lesser Elaenia

The lesser elaenia (Elaenia chiriquensis) is a species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, on Trinidad, in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay, and as a vagrant on Bonaire and Curaçao.

What is now Coopmans's elaenia (E. brachyptera) was previously a third subspecies of it. Based on a study published in 2015, taxonomic systems recognized it as a species starting in 2016. 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. Their... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:24

Brazil · 2025

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC1051776 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:09

Ecuador · 2021

© rudy gelis · XC823164 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Dawn song0:18

Ecuador · 2021

© Dušan M. Brinkhuizen · XC665303 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
2 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
3 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
4 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
5 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
6 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
7 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
8 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
9 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
10 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
11 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
12 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
13 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
14 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
15 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
16 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 João Pessoa 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
2 Salvador 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
3 Medellín 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
4 Caracas 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
5 Panama City 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
6 Cali 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
7 San José 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Elaenia in João Pessoa?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Elaenia sighting in João Pessoa on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 36th most-seen of the 99 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Lesser Elaenia in João Pessoa?

December

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Elaenia in João Pessoa on a given day, against under 5% in March to November, the lowest months. That is one of João Pessoa's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain against 230 mm in June.

What time of day is best to see a Lesser Elaenia?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Elaenia 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 João Pessoa the best place to see a Lesser Elaenia?

Yes

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Lesser Elaenia sightings, João Pessoa has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Salvador (Brazil, about 10%) and Medellín (Colombia, under 5%).

Where does the Lesser Elaenia sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Lesser Elaenia is recorded against all the birds logged in João Pessoa (6 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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