Tropical Gnatcatcher
Polioptila plumbea
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyPolioptilidae (Gnatcatchers and Gnatwrens)
- GenusPolioptila (Gnatcatchers)
- SpeciesPolioptila plumbea (Tropical Gnatcatcher)
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 →
Recent sightings of Tropical Gnatcatcher in Piedras Blancas National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Piedras Blancas National Park
Long-billed Gnatwren
Ramphocaenus melanurus
Scarlet-rumped Tanager
Ramphocelus passerinii
Variable Seedeater
Sporophila corvina
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Riverside Wren
Cantorchilus semibadius
Black-striped Sparrow
Arremonops conirostris
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Bananaquit
Coereba flaveola
Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
Gray-capped Flycatcher
Myiozetetes granadensis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Tropical Gnatcatcher in Piedras Blancas National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Gnatcatcher sighting in Piedras Blancas National Park, based on 293 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Tropical Gnatcatcher in Piedras Blancas National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Tropical Gnatcatcher in Piedras Blancas National Park in our monthly data.