Brownish elaenia the Xingu River in the south of Pará state, North Region, Brazil; it ranges upstream on the Xingu for 700 km, then a tributary to the west of the Xingu, the Rio Iriri, for another 700 km. The next upstream tributary for the bird's range, is the Madeira River in the Amazon Basin's southwest, Amazonas state. The range proceeds 2400 km upstream into the headwaters of the Madeira in northern Bolivia. To the west the brownish elaenia's range continues as the Amazon River becomes the Marañón River and proceeds to the headwaters in northern Peru; this is also along the
Xingu State Park the Xingu River. It adjoins the Capoto/Jarina Indigenous Territory to the west. Its boundary to the north is the border with the state of Pará. To the east the Fontourinha stream defines its boundary. The park is in the Amazon biome. 81.87% of the park is covered by savanna/pioneer contact, and 18% by savanna/rainforest contact. Xingu State Park was created by decree 3.585 of 7 December 2001 with an area of about . It was redefined by law 8054 of 29 December 2003, signed by the state governor Blairo Maggi, which reduced its size to . The reduction was justified