A characteristic Yungas Elaenia of approximately 16 cm, with a relatively robust appearance and a comparatively long tail. It presents sexual dichromatism. The male has a predominantly slate-gray coloration, with a pale gray throat and whitish central belly and undertail coverts, contrasting with the darker flanks. It has a small partially concealed white crown patch and a thin whitish eye-ring. The bill is relatively short and broad, blackish, with a very contrasting orange or yellow-orange base on the lower mandible. The female is considerably more olive above and has yellowish tones on the underparts, in addition to more evident ochraceous wing bars. Juveniles are similar to the female, although browner and with several pale wing bars.
The female and juveniles may resemble the White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia obscura), a species with which it may locally coexist in the Yungas. However, the White-crested Elaenia presents a more uniformly olive coloration, less contrast between the upperparts and underparts, and lacks the marked sexual dichromatism characteristic of the Plumbeous Elaenia. The vocalizations of both species are completely different.
Geographic distribution: It is distributed along the eastern slopes of the southern Andes in Bolivia and northwestern Argentina, where it breeds mainly in the Yungas forests, from Jujuy and Salta to Tucumán, reaching southern mountain areas of Catamarca and La Rioja. There are also occasional records in the Sierras de Córdoba, a situation that still requires further study. It is mainly recorded between 800 and 1800 m above sea level during the breeding season, descending to lower elevations during migration and wintering.
It is a migratory species. During the breeding period, it mainly occupies the Yungas between approximately October and March. After breeding, it migrates northward through South America, reaching wintering areas in Amazonian regions and extending as far as Venezuela. The species’ migration remains poorly known, and there are few records in the intermediate areas between breeding and wintering grounds.
Habitat: Yungas forests and their ecotones, especially montane forests, forest edges, humid ravines, and areas near watercourses, moving mainly through the middle and upper strata of vegetation. During migration and wintering, it occupies low forests, shrubby clearings, forest edges, and lower-elevation forest environments.
Diet: It feeds mainly on arthropods and various fruits and berries. It searches for food primarily in the middle and upper strata of vegetation, by gleaning among foliage, making short fluttering movements, and performing aerial captures from exposed perches, often recalling small swallows in its feeding maneuvers. During migration, it usually joins mixed-species flocks in the canopy.
Behavior: Generally solitary or in pairs. It usually remains hidden among foliage, although it frequently perches motionless on exposed branches for long periods, occasionally moving its tail. It is a particularly vocal species during the breeding season. Its voice consists of a harsh, mechanical, and screeching series, resembling the sound produced by an orthopteran or even a frog, rather than that of a bird (pers. obs.).
Nesting: Between October and February, it builds a small cup-shaped nest made of fine twigs and leaves, generally located several meters above the ground in a branch fork. The clutch consists of two whitish or creamy-white eggs, with small reddish-brown spots concentrated mainly toward the larger end.
Conservation status: The species is categorized as Not Threatened (NA) at the national level and as Least Concern (LC) at the international level. It has a relatively restricted distribution, mainly associated with the Yungas forests and adjacent mountain ranges, although it can be locally common in suitable habitats. The loss and fragmentation of montane forests constitute its main potential threat.
Author of this compilation: María Belén Dri and Diego Carús – 14/07/2026