Amazonian elaenia

What is now the Amazonian elaenia was originally described as Elainea[sic] cinerea.{{cite book | last=Pelzeln |first=August von | date= 1871 | title=Zur Ornithologie Brasiliens: Resultate von Johann Natterers Reisen in den Jahren 1817 bis 1835 | publisher=A. Pichler's Witwe & Sohn | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2941346 |pages=180 }} It was later moved into Myiopagis as a subspecies of the then grey elaenia (M. caniceps); soon thereafter Myiopagis was merged into genus Elaenia. That move was reversed in the mid-twentieth century, and Myiopagis was confirmed by genetic analysis to be the grey elaenia's proper genus.{{cite book | last=Hellmayer |first= Charles B | title=Catalogue of birds of the Americas and the adjacent islands in Field Museum of Natural History | volume=XIII Part V | date= 1927 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2831191 |pages=439–433}}Zimmer, J.T. (1941) Studies of Peruvian birds, No. 36. The genera Elaenia and Myiopagis. American Museum Novitates 1108: 1-23.Rheindt, F.E., L. Christidis, G.S. Cabanne, C. Miyaki, and J.A. Norman. 2009. The timing of Neotropical speciation dynamics: a reconstruction of Myiopagis flycatcher diversification using phylogenetic and paleogeographic data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 53: 961-971.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 27 July 2024. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved July 28, 2024{{overcite|date=October 2024}}

The Amazonian elaenia's further taxonomy is unsettled. BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World split it and the Choco elaenia (M. parambae) from the former grey elaenia in December 2016, calling them the Amazonian grey, Choco grey, and Atlantic grey elaenias respectively.BirdLife International (2016) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 9. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/BirdLife_Checklist_Version_90.zip [.xls zipped 1 MB] The Clements taxonomy recognized the split in November 2022 and the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) followed suit in January 2023.Clements, J. F., P.C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved December 1, 2022Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.1)_red. Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.1. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ These systems named the three species the Amazonian, Choco, and grey(gray)-headed elaenias (M. caniceps sensu stricto) respectively. As of September 2024 neither the North nor South American Classification Committees of the American Ornithological Society had recognized the split though the South American committee (SACC) is soliciting a proposal to do so.Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, A. W. Kratter, N. A. Mason, P. C. Rasmussen, and J. V. Remsen, Jr. 2024. Check-list of North American Birds (online). American Ornithological Society. https://checklist.americanornithology.org/taxa/ retrieved August 22, 2024

The Amazonian elaenia is monotypic.Clements, J. F., P.C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved October 28, 2023

The Amazonian elaenia is {{convert|12|to|13|cm|in|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} long and weighs about {{convert|11|g|oz|sigfig=2|abbr=on}}. Adult males have a dark gray crown with a partially concealed white stripe along its middle. They have a thin grayish white loral spot that continues around the eye and a grizzled whitish lower face. Their upperparts are blue-gray. Their wings are black with white edges on the inner flight feathers and white tips on the coverts; the last form two bars on the closed wing. Their tail is gray with white tips on the feathers. Their throat and underparts are mostly pale gray with a white belly. Adult females have a yellow strip on their crown, with bright olive-green upperparts, yellowish wing bars and edges on the flight feathers, and mostly greenish yellow underparts with a yellow belly. Both sexes have a dark brown iris, a short blackish bill, and dark gray legs and feet.Fitzpatrick, J. W., J. del Hoyo, G. M. Kirwan, N. Collar, and P. F. D. Boesman (2022). Amazonian Elaenia (Myiopagis cinerea), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (N. D. Sly, S. M. Billerman, and B. K. Keeney, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.gryela2.01 retrieved September 23, 2024{{cite book | last1 =McMullan | first1 =Miles | last2 =Donegan | first2 =Thomas M. | last3 =Quevedo | first3 =Alonso | title = Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia | publisher = Fundación ProAves| date =2010 | location =Bogotá | pages =148 |isbn =978-0-9827615-0-2 }}{{cite book | last =Ridgely | first =Robert S. | last2 =Greenfield | first2 =Paul J. | title =The Birds of Ecuador: Field Guide | publisher =Cornell University Press | volume = II| date =2001 | location =Ithaca | pages =461–462 | isbn =978-0-8014-8721-7 }}{{cite book | last =Schulenberg | first =T.S. | last2 =Stotz | first2 =D.F. | last3 =Lane | first3 =D.F. | last4 =O'Neill | first4 =J.P. | last5 =Parker | first5 =T.A. III | title =Birds of Peru | publisher =Princeton University Press | edition =revised and updated |series=Princeton Field Guides | date =2010 | location =Princeton, NJ | pages =408 |isbn = 978-0691130231 }}{{cite book | last =Hilty | first =Steven L. | title =Birds of Venezuela | publisher =Princeton University Press | edition =second | date =2003 | location =Princeton NJ | pages =568 | language =English }}{{cite book | last =van Perlo | first = Ber| title =A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil | publisher =Oxford University Press | date =2009 | location =New York | pages =290–291 | isbn =978-0-19-530155-7 }}{{overcite|date=October 2024}}

The Amazonian elaenia is found in the Amazon Basin in eastern Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, in northern Bolivia, in southern Venezuela, Guyana, and French Guiana, and in roughly the northwestern half of Brazil.{{overcite|date=October 2024}} An unconfirmed sight record in Suriname lead the SACC to class it as hypothetical in that country. The species inhabits terra firme and várzea tropical evergreen forest, both primary and secondary of all ages. In elevation it reaches {{convert|1200|m|ft|abbr=on}} in Colombia, {{convert|600|m|ft|abbr=on}} in Ecuador, {{convert|700|m|ft|abbr=on}} in Peru, and {{convert|1200|m|ft|abbr=on}} in Venezuela though mostly below {{convert|300|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}} there.{{overcite|date=October 2024}}

The Amazonian elaenia is a year-round resident in most of its range. However, there is evidence that it occurs in Bolivia only in the austral winter, and there might be some slight movement into far northwestern Venezuela.

The Amazonian elaenia is assumed to feed on insects and small fruits like others of its genus. It typically forages in the forest canopy and high on its outer edges, taking food from foliage and twigs by gleaning from a perch and while briefly hovering. It frequently joins mixed-species feeding flocks.

Nothing is known about the Amazonian elaenia's breeding biology. However, it is thought to be similar to that of its former parent the grey, now grey-headed, elania, which see here.

{{birdsong|url=https://xeno-canto.org/species/Myiopagis-caniceps |species=the Amazonian elaenia in the grey elaenia page}}

The Amazonian elaenia's two principal vocalizations are "a musical, descending, springy phrase: TSEE'SEE'see'see'see'sew" and a "somewhat sneezy tsee tsee TSEW-tsee-TSEW". They have also been written as "e-e-p-p-p-pepepepe ... pepepepupupupupu" and "ee-ee-ee-pit-chew, pit-chew, pee-chew" respectively. The species typically vocalizes the most in the early morning but continues intermittently all day; it vocalizes from the forest canopy.

The IUCN has assessed the Amazonian elaenia as being of Least Concern. It has a very large range; its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified. It is considered uncommon in Colombia, "uncommon and local (under-recorded?)" in Ecuador, and "uncommon but widespread" in Peru. There are very few records in Venezuela. "In general, it is easily overlooked due to its inconspicuousness and tendency to forage within canopy flocks."

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Category:Myiopagis

Category:Birds of the Amazon rainforest

Category:Birds described in 1868