Tropical Gnatcatcher
Tropical GnatcatcherTropical GnatcatcherTropical GnatcatcherTropical Gnatcatcher

Tropical Gnatcatcher

Polioptila plumbea

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Palo Verde National Park
82 Verified sightings at Palo Verde National Park From 2019 to 2026
13,152 Verified sightings across all 47 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Tropical Gnatcatcher

The tropical gnatcatcher (Polioptila plumbea) is a small active insectivorous songbird, which is a resident species throughout a large part of northern South America. It was formerly considered as conspecific with the white-browed gnatcatcher and the Marañón gnatcatcher.

The tropical gnatcatcher was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it in the genus Todus, coined the binomial name Todus plumbeus and specified the type locality as Suriname in South America. The specific epithet plumbeus is Latin meaning "plumbeous" or "lead-coloured". Gmelin based his account on the "Plumbeous tody" that had been described in 1782 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his book A General Synopsis of Birds. Latham had examined a specimen in the collection of the British Museum. The tropical gnatcatcher is now one of 17 gnatcatchers placed in the genus Polioptila that was introduced in 1855 by the English zoologist Philip Sclater.

The tropical gnatcatcher was formerly considered to conspecific with the white-browed gnatcatcher (Polioptila bilineata) and the Marañón... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Palo Verde National Park

White-lored Gnatcatcher
LC

White-lored Gnatcatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Polioptila albiloris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Long-billed Gnatwren
LC

Long-billed Gnatwren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ramphocaenus melanurus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Great Kiskadee
LC

Great Kiskadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pitangus sulphuratus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Tropical Kingbird
LC

Tropical Kingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Barn Swallow
LC

Barn Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hirundo rustica

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Rufous-backed Wren
LC

Rufous-backed Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Campylorhynchus capistratus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Great-tailed Grackle
LC

Great-tailed Grackle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Quiscalus mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Red-winged Blackbird
LC

Red-winged Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Agelaius phoeniceus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Streak-backed Oriole
LC

Streak-backed Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus pustulatus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Brown-crested Flycatcher
LC

Brown-crested Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Myiarchus tyrannulus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tyrannus forficatus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Yellow Warbler
LC

Yellow Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga petechia

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~50%
2 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~50%
3 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
~40%
4 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
5 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
6 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
7 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
8 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
9 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
10 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
11 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
12 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
13 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
14 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
15 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
16 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
17 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
18 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
19 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
20 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
21 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
22 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
23 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~10%
24 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
25 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
26 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
27 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
28 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
29 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
30 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
31 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
32 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
33 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
34 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
35 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
36 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
37 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
38 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
39 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
40 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
41 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
42 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
43 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
Insufficient data
44 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
Insufficient data
45 Huascarán National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
Insufficient data
46 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
47 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Tropical Gnatcatcher in Palo Verde National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Gnatcatcher sighting in Palo Verde National Park, based on 82 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Tropical Gnatcatcher in Palo Verde National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Tropical Gnatcatcher in Palo Verde National Park in our monthly data.

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