Adults have a brownish olive head with lighter cheeks, a thin whitish eyering, and a mostly hidden white patch on the crown.

Their throat is gray, their breast gray-olive, and their belly and undertail coverts pale yellow.

On population is found from Nariño Department in far southwestern Colombia south into Ecuador as far as northern Pichincha Province.

The other is found on the east side of the Ecuadoran Andes at a few locations in Napo and Morona-Santiago provinces.

[6][7][8] There is speculation that this population's range extends north into southern Colombia and south into northeastern Peru.

[3][6] The species inhabits a variety of semi-open landscapes such as light woodlands and clearings and edges in thicker forest.

A unique vocalization is "a rattle call lasting up to c. 1 second and comprising up to 15 notes" that has never been heard from the lesser elaenia.