Brownish Elaenia (Elaenia pelzelni)
Brownish Elaenia, Marchantaria Island, Amazonas, Brazil, July 2001 - click for larger image Marchantaria Island, Manaus, Brazil
July 2001

The Brownish Elaenia is found only on islands in Amazonian rivers from north east Peru downriver to the Rio Xingu and along major tributaries to the south of the Amazon river. It seems to prefer Cecropia trees as seen in these photos

Brownish Elaenia, Marchantaria Island, Amazonas, Brazil, July 2001 - click for larger image It is reminiscent of a thrush and is large and brownish with dull greyish brown underparts showing no olive and two or three buffy wing-bars.

Ridgely & Tudor make the comment that "We do not know its voice" but it has a distinctive two note call. You can hear Jeremy Minn's recording of it by clicking here.

The scientific species name comes from August von Pelzeln, an Austrian ornithologist who worked in Brazil and South Africa towards the end of the 19th century.

There is an illustration in Ridgely & Tudor, Volume 2, Plate 31.

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