Long-billed Gnatwren
Ramphocaenus melanurus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyPolioptilidae (Gnatcatchers and Gnatwrens)
- GenusRamphocaenus (Long-billed Gnatwrens)
- SpeciesRamphocaenus melanurus (Long-billed Gnatwren)
About the Long-billed Gnatwren
The trilling gnatwren (Ramphocaenus melanurus), formerly long-billed gnatwren, is a very small bird in the gnatcatcher family. It found from southeast Mexico south to Ecuador and Amazonia. The trilling gnatwren was described by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1819 from a specimen collected in Brazil. He coined the binomial name Ramphocaenus melanurus. The genus name Ramphocaenus means "unusual beak", from the Ancient Greek rhamphos (ῥάµϕος, "beak") and cænos (καινός, "strange"). The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek melas "black" and oura "tail". A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2018 found that two subspecies of Ramphocaenus melanurus formed a separate clade. The subspecies were split off to become the chattering gnatwren and the English name of this species was changed from "long-billed gnatwren" to "trilling gnatwren".
Thirteen subspecies are recognised: R. m. rufiventris (Bonaparte, 1838) – south Mexico to west Ecuador R. m. ardeleo Van Tyne & Trautman, 1941 – Yucatán Peninsula (southeast Mexico) and north Guatemala R. m. panamensis Phillips, AR, 1991 – central and east Panama
R. m. sanctaemarthae Sclater, PL, 1862 – north... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Darién National Park
Tropical Gnatcatcher
Polioptila plumbea
Slate-throated Gnatcatcher
Polioptila schistaceigula
Tawny-faced Gnatwren
Microbates cinereiventris
Bananaquit
Coereba flaveola
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
Cocoa Woodcreeper
Xiphorhynchus susurrans
Streaked Flycatcher
Myiodynastes maculatus
Black-chested Jay
Cyanocorax affinis
Crested Oropendola
Psarocolius decumanus
Purple-throated Fruitcrow
Querula purpurata
Golden-collared Manakin
Manacus vitellinus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Long-billed Gnatwren in Darién National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Long-billed Gnatwren sighting in Darién National Park, based on 78 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Long-billed Gnatwren in Darién National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Long-billed Gnatwren in Darién National Park in our monthly data.