- Elaenia martinica
Identification
15.5 - 18 cm (6-7 inches) mainly olive-gray flycatcher.
Upperside is olive-gray with two whitish wing-bars, seemingly variable in strength geographically.
Throat and lower belly is lighter, and some places seems to have a yellow belly, sometimes more noticeable on photos than during observation.
In Dominica, the cheek below the eye seems to be as dark as the area above the eye, another variable feature, it seems.
When these birds are excited, they can pull the crown feathers to the side and show a white to yellowish white stripe in the middle. Otherwise show very minimal crest.
Upper mandible is black, lower mandible has pink base two-thirds out.
Legs are dark.
Similar Species
Yellow-bellied Elaenia has a more yellow underside, and a stronger crest (Range overlap in St. Vincent and Grenada).
Distribution
The seven subspecies are distributed across the southern parts of the Caribbean, both along the western side (off Eastern Mexico) and the Lesser Antilles to Barbados. In addition found in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 7 subspecies[1]:
- E. m. riisii:
- Puerto Rico to Anguilla, south-east to Antigua; Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire
- E. m. martinica:
- Lesser Antilles (south to Grenada)
- E. m. barbadensis:
- E. m. remota:
- Islands off eastern Mexico (Cozumel, Meco, Mujeres, Holbox)
- E. m. chinchorrensis:
- Great Cay Island off Quintana Roo (eastern Mexico)
- E. m. cinerascens:
- San Andrés, Providéncia, Santa Catalina Islands (off Honduras)
- E. m. caymanensis:
Habitat
Forests, scrubs, gardens and woodlands; mostly in lowlands, but where the Yellow-bellied Elaenia is also found, Caribbean Elaenia normally is displaced to the higher ground.
Behaviour
Often sits on branches a little below the the top of the bush/tree so that they are not visible to the Gray Kingbird, a very agressive species to other birds that catch insects.
Diet
Their diet consists of both insects and fruit.
Breeding
They construct a flimsy cup-shaped nest from twigs. It is placed about 9 m above the ground in a tree or shrub. The clutch consists of 2-3 eggs.
Vocalisation
People from North America sometimes think they hear an Eastern Phoebe when this species is around.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2023) Caribbean Elaenia. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 December 2023 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Caribbean_Elaenia
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
