Lesser Elaenia

14 cm. A hard bird to identify if it does not call. However this species is rare in coastal areas. <NNot particularly crested with some white in the crown and a white eye ring. Above olive-gray. Wings dusky with two white wing bars. Below lighter, the belly yellowish white. Gives sometimes a quite grayish impression. Gives a variety of calls including a high "wiib wiib wiib", a fast and short "jide or jiwe" and an almost one syllabled "jeba jeba". Ridgely also describes a longer "freeee" ^44 . Song is a repeated "tchiwi tchiwi chi chi" sung as duet etc. Less conspicuous than /Elaenia flavogaster and sometimes perches well hidden in a tree. A upward-hover gleaner ^74 . Quite regular in open cerrado, grassland with scrub and scrubby areas, gardens, clearings. Not regularly encountered at the coast. More common in dryer areas inland. Pinto lists the species from<8E>Mogi das Cruzes Estado S<C4>o Paulo, 1933 and from S<C4>o Paulo City Ipiranga, 1912 and 1941 , both locations on the altiplano, but relatively close to the coast. Otherwise recorded from Estado S<C4>o Paulo from<8E>Ipanema<8E>and<8E>Itatiba close to S<C4>o Paulo , Itarar<CA> N of Curitiba , and further inland from<8E>Franca, Rincao, S<C4>o Carlos<8E>and<8E>Para<DB>na. Found near<8E>Itirapina Remold . Below 2000 meters ^44 . 10869 Song. Itirapina, 11<10>14<10>95. Sunny, 30 <91>C. Scrub in cerrado.: 1119 Call. Itirapina, 11<10>14<10>95. Sunny, 30 <91>C. Scrub. With /Camptostoma obsoletum .: 4374 Call. Serra da Canastra, 11<10>10<10>98. Cloudy, 25<91>C. Scrubby slopes.: 2063 Call. Serra da Canastra, 11<10>11<10>98. Cloudy, 25<91>C. 0pen woods, pastures. With /Zonotrichia capensis .: 9888 Call, Serra de Canastra, Minas Gerais, 11<10>10<10>98. Cloudy, 25<91>C. Open scrub.: 1156 >: