Yellow-bellied Elaenia Elaenia flavogaster Scientific name definitions
Text last updated July 5, 2016
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Species names in all available languages
Language | Common name |
---|---|
Catalan | elènia ventregroga |
Croatian | kukmasta elenija |
Dutch | Geelbuikelenia |
English | Yellow-bellied Elaenia |
English (United States) | Yellow-bellied Elaenia |
French | Élénie à ventre jaune |
French (Canada) | Élénie à ventre jaune |
German | Gelbbauch-Olivtyrann |
Japanese | キバラシラギクタイランチョウ |
Norwegian | gulbukelenia |
Polish | elenia żółtobrzucha |
Portuguese (Brazil) | guaracava-de-barriga-amarela |
Portuguese (Portugal) | Guaracava-de-barriga-amarela |
Russian | Желтобрюхая эления |
Serbian | Žutotrba elenija |
Slovak | elénia žltobruchá |
Spanish | Fiofío Ventriamarillo |
Spanish (Argentina) | Fiofío Copetón |
Spanish (Costa Rica) | Elainia Copetona |
Spanish (Ecuador) | Elenia Penachuda |
Spanish (Honduras) | Elenia Copetona |
Spanish (Mexico) | Mosquero Elenia Copetón |
Spanish (Panama) | Elenia Penachuda |
Spanish (Paraguay) | Fiofío copetón |
Spanish (Peru) | Fío-Fío de Vientre Amarillo |
Spanish (Spain) | Fiofío ventriamarillo |
Spanish (Uruguay) | Fiofío Copetón |
Spanish (Venezuela) | Bobito Copetón Vientre Amarillo |
Swedish | gulbukig elenia |
Turkish | Sarı Karınlı Elenya |
Ukrainian | Еленія жовточерева |
Elaenia flavogaster (Thunberg, 1822)
Definitions
- ELAENIA
- flavogaster / flavogastra
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Introduction
The Yellow-bellied Elaenia is a medium sized, widespread elaenia found from southeastern Mexico south to northeastern Argentina. Generally Yellow-bellied Elaenias are brownish olive above with two white wing bars, a pale gray breast, and pale yellow belly. Yellow-bellied Elaenia have a conspicuous bushy crest that often is raised when the bird calls, revealing a white coronal patch. These flycatchers inhabit a variety of woodland habitats as well as scrub and savanna, and feed on fruits and insects. Yellow-bellied Elaenias often are relatively conspicuous, perching in the open and vocalizing frequently.
Field Identification
16–17 cm; 21–29 g. Medium-sized, small-headed elaenia with conspicuous bushy crest, often parted in middle to reveal white coronal patch. Nominate race is brownish-olive above, face slightly paler than upperparts, faint whitish eyering; wings and tail slightly duskier than back, two white wingbars, yellowish-white edgings on remiges; throat pale grey, breast olive-grey, belly yellow to pale yellow or even whitish; iris dark brown; bill black, pale base of lower mandible; legs black. Distinguished from E. chiriquensis by larger size, more conspicuous crest; from E. spectabilis by slightly smaller size, much more distinct crest, presence of white crown patch, only two wingbars. Sexes alike. Immature is browner above, buff wingbars, no coronal patch. Race subpagana is browner and more olive above, yellower below; pallididorsalis is greyer overall, faintly greener on upperparts; semipagana is paler overall, greyer front and side of head, much-reduced white coronal patch, whiter throat, paler belly, also shorter bill.
Systematics History
Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.
Formerly treated as conspecific with E. spectabilis, but ranges overlap widely in Brazil, and the two differ vocally. Birds in SW Colombia appear intermediate between nominate race and semipagana. Four subspecies recognized.Subspecies
Elaenia flavogaster subpagana Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Elaenia flavogaster subpagana Sclater, 1860
Definitions
- ELAENIA
- flavogaster / flavogastra
- subpagana
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Elaenia flavogaster pallididorsalis Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Elaenia flavogaster pallididorsalis Aldrich, 1937
Definitions
- ELAENIA
- flavogaster / flavogastra
- pallididorsalis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Elaenia flavogaster flavogaster Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Elaenia flavogaster flavogaster (Thunberg, 1822)
Definitions
- ELAENIA
- flavogaster / flavogastra
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Elaenia flavogaster semipagana Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Elaenia flavogaster semipagana Sclater, 1862
Definitions
- ELAENIA
- flavogaster / flavogastra
- semipagana
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.
Habitat
Variety of humid and arid, wooded habitats, including lighter woodland, second growth and edge, scrub, savanna, as well as brushy river margins, weedy clearings with scattered trees, also trees in towns, gardens; absent from heavily forested areas. Mostly below 1500 m; recorded to 2500 m in Andes.
Movement
Mainly resident; in Mexico, those in Veracruz and Oaxaca largely withdraw to S of Isthmus of Tehuantepec in winter months.
Diet and Foraging
Insects and berries taken. Usually found singly or in pairs; larger numbers may gather at fruiting trees. Animated and conspicuous, typically perching openly and calling frequently, often seeming agitated and excited; crest frequently raised while calling. Forages with aerial sallies, perch-gleans, and hover-gleans.
Sounds and Vocal Behavior
Calls include hoarse “breeer”, rising and then falling, and repeated “wreek-kreeup” with hoarse or burry quality; dawn song “trr-dyeéuw, trr-trreeenh-weeeuw” or “we-do, we-do”.
Breeding
Season Feb–Sept; May–Sept in Colombia (although birds in breeding condition in Feb), mainly Apr–Jun in Lesser Antilles; mainly Apr–Jun in Trinidad and Tobago, but recorded also in Nov–Dec; nest-building observed in Mar in Venezuela; sometimes two broods. Nest a neat grass or moss cup, lined with feathers and decorated with lichens and bark, placed in fork of small branch. Clutch two eggs, rarely one or three, colour pinkish white with chestnut and grey markings, size 20·5–21 mm × 15 mm (3); incubation by female, period 16 days; chicks brooded by female, fed by both parents, fledging period 15–17 days.
Conservation Status
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Fairly common to common throughout most of range; rather uncommon locally, e.g. in parts of Ecuador. Range possibly extends farther S; sight record from N Chile (near Arica). Occurs in numerous national parks and other protected areas. Preference for more open woodland and widespread tolerance of converted habitats, combined with large range, suggest that this species is reasonably secure. Probably of some importance as a seed-disperser; has been shown to disperse seeds widely in second-growth areas.
- Year-round
- Migration
- Breeding
- Non-Breeding