Gnatcatcher
Encyclopedia
The 15-20 species of small passerine
bird
s in the gnatcatcher family occur in North
and South America
(except far south and high Andean regions). Most species of this mainly tropical and subtropical group are resident, but the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
of the USA
and southern Canada
migrates
south in winter. They are close relatives of the wren
s.
These dainty birds are intermediate between "Old World warbler
s" and wren
s in their structure and habits, moving restlessly through the foliage seeking insects. The gnatcatchers are mainly soft bluish grey in colour, and have the typical insectivore's long sharp bill. Many species have distinctive black head patterns (esp. males) and long, regularly cocked, black-and-white tails. The skulking gnatwrens are browner, more thickset, and with proportionally shorter tails and longer bills.
The gnatwrens typically occur in the undergrowth of dense, often humid, forest, while gnatcatchers, depending on the species involved, occur in anything from dry scrubby habitats (e.g. the California Gnatcatcher) to the canopy
of humid Amazonian
forest (e.g. the Guianan Gnatcatcher). The North American species nest in bushes or trees, but the breeding behavior of several of the Neotropical species is essentially unknown.
A species new to science
, the critically endangered
Iquitos Gnatcatcher Polioptila clementsi, was first described in 2005. This species is a member of the Guianan Gnatcather Polioptila guianensis complex, which recently has been proposed split into three species (four w. the Iquitos Gnatcatcher), but not all authorities have accepted this (e.g. SACC). Furthermore, other groups should possibly be split, notably the Tropical Gnatcather Polioptila plumbea and Masked Gnatcather Polioptila dumicola complexes, but at present scientific papers on these matters are lacking.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s in the gnatcatcher family occur in North
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
(except far south and high Andean regions). Most species of this mainly tropical and subtropical group are resident, but the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea, is a very small songbird.Adult males are blue-grey on the upperparts with white underparts and have a long slender bill, long black tail and an angry black unibrow. Females are less blue without the unibrow...
of the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and southern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
migrates
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
south in winter. They are close relatives of the wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
s.
These dainty birds are intermediate between "Old World warbler
Old World warbler
The "Old World Warblers" is the name used to describe a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into...
s" and wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
s in their structure and habits, moving restlessly through the foliage seeking insects. The gnatcatchers are mainly soft bluish grey in colour, and have the typical insectivore's long sharp bill. Many species have distinctive black head patterns (esp. males) and long, regularly cocked, black-and-white tails. The skulking gnatwrens are browner, more thickset, and with proportionally shorter tails and longer bills.
The gnatwrens typically occur in the undergrowth of dense, often humid, forest, while gnatcatchers, depending on the species involved, occur in anything from dry scrubby habitats (e.g. the California Gnatcatcher) to the canopy
Canopy (forest)
In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant community or crop, formed by plant crowns.For forests, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and including other biological organisms .Sometimes the term canopy is used to refer to the extent...
of humid Amazonian
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
forest (e.g. the Guianan Gnatcatcher). The North American species nest in bushes or trees, but the breeding behavior of several of the Neotropical species is essentially unknown.
A species new to science
Bird species new to science
This article describes bird species new to science since 1900. Prior to the 20th century, and indeed into its early decades, the pace of discovery of new species was fast; during this period, with numerous collecting expeditions into species-rich areas not previously visited by western...
, the critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
Iquitos Gnatcatcher Polioptila clementsi, was first described in 2005. This species is a member of the Guianan Gnatcather Polioptila guianensis complex, which recently has been proposed split into three species (four w. the Iquitos Gnatcatcher), but not all authorities have accepted this (e.g. SACC). Furthermore, other groups should possibly be split, notably the Tropical Gnatcather Polioptila plumbea and Masked Gnatcather Polioptila dumicola complexes, but at present scientific papers on these matters are lacking.
- Family Polioptilidae
- Genus MicrobatesMicrobatesMicrobates is a genus of bird in the Polioptilidae family.It contains the following species:* Tawny-faced Gnatwren * Collared Gnatwren...
- Collared GnatwrenCollared GnatwrenThe Collared Gnatwren is a species of bird in the Polioptilidae family.It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela....
, Microbates collaris - Tawny-faced GnatwrenTawny-faced GnatwrenThe Tawny-faced Gnatwren is a species of bird in the Polioptilidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:* BirdLife...
, Microbates cinereiventris
- Collared Gnatwren
- Genus Ramphocaenus
- Long-billed GnatwrenLong-billed GnatwrenThe Long-billed Gnatwren is a very small bird in the gnatcatcher family. It is the only member of the genus Ramphocaenus ....
, Ramphocaenus melanurus
- Long-billed Gnatwren
- Genus PolioptilaPolioptilaPolioptila is a genus of bird in the Polioptilidae family.It contains the following species:* Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea* Cuban Gnatcatcher, Polioptila lembeyei* California Gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica...
- Blue-gray GnatcatcherBlue-gray GnatcatcherThe Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea, is a very small songbird.Adult males are blue-grey on the upperparts with white underparts and have a long slender bill, long black tail and an angry black unibrow. Females are less blue without the unibrow...
, Polioptila caerulea - Cuban GnatcatcherCuban GnatcatcherThe Cuban Gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the Polioptilidae family, the gnatcatchers.It is endemic to Cuba.Its natural habitat is xeric scrubland. It is the smallest species in the Polioptilidae family at 10 cm ....
, Polioptila lembeyei - California GnatcatcherCalifornia GnatcatcherThe California Gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica, is a small 10.8 cm long insectivorous bird which frequents dense coastal sage scrub growth...
, Polioptila californica - Black-tailed GnatcatcherBlack-tailed GnatcatcherThe Black-tailed Gnatcatcher is a small, insectivorous bird which ranges throughout the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is nonmigratory and found in arid desert areas year-round.-Taxonomy:The Black-tailed Gnatcatcher was described by...
, Polioptila melanura - Black-capped GnatcatcherBlack-capped GnatcatcherThe Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Polioptila nigriceps, is a very small songbird.Adults are blue-grey on the upperparts with white underparts, with a long slender bill and a long black tail with white outer tailbands on the uppertail. The undertail is extensively white, showing black only along a thin...
, Polioptila nigriceps - White-lored GnatcatcherWhite-lored GnatcatcherThe White-lored Gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the Polioptilidae family.It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua....
, Polioptila albiloris - Guianan GnatcatcherGuianan GnatcatcherThe Guianan Gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the Polioptilidae family. It is found in the canopy in the Amazon Rainforest...
, Polioptila guianensis- Rio Negro Gnatcatcher, Poliptila (guianensis) facilis
- Para Gnatcatcher, Polioptila (guianensis) paraensis
- Iquitos GnatcatcherIquitos GnatcatcherThe Iquitos Gnatcatcher Polioptila clementsi is a gnatcatcher described as new to science in 2005. It is currently only known from the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve, west of Iquitos, Peru. The species is a member of the Polioptila guianensis complex. It is named after James F....
, Polioptila clementsi - Tropical GnatcatcherTropical GnatcatcherThe Tropical Gnatcatcher is a small active insectivorous songbird, which is a resident species throughout a large part of the Neotropics...
, Polioptila plumbea- Maranon Gnatcatcher, Polioptila (plumbea) maior
- White-browed Gnatcatcher, Polioptila (plumbea) bilineata
- Creamy-bellied GnatcatcherCreamy-bellied GnatcatcherThe Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the Polioptilidae family.It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay....
, Polioptila lactea - Slate-throated GnatcatcherSlate-throated GnatcatcherThe Slate-throated Gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the Polioptilidae family.It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Polioptila schistaceigula - Masked GnatcatcherMasked GnatcatcherThe Masked Gnatcatcher is a small active insectivorous songbird, found in northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and southern and central Brazil. It is found in a wide range of semi-open habitats, including dry forest and Cerrado...
, Polioptila dumicola- Berlepsch's Gnatcatcher, Polioptila (dumicola) berlepschi
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Genus Microbates
External links
- Gnatcatcher videos on the Internet Bird Collection