Tropical Gnatcatcher
Tropical GnatcatcherTropical GnatcatcherTropical GnatcatcherTropical Gnatcatcher

Tropical Gnatcatcher

Polioptila plumbea

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Tikal National Park
158 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026
13,152 Verified sightings across all 47 parks From 2019 to 2026
October 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 Tikal National Park

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
LC Endemic

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Polioptila caerulea

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Long-billed Gnatwren
LC

Long-billed Gnatwren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ramphocaenus melanurus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Brown Jay

Brown Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Psilorhinus morio

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely
Montezuma Oropendola
LC

Montezuma Oropendola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Psarocolius montezuma

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Melodious Blackbird
LC

Melodious Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dives dives

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Social Flycatcher
LC

Social Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Myiozetetes similis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Magnolia Warbler
LC

Magnolia Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga magnolia

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Lesser Greenlet
LC

Lesser Greenlet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hylophilus decurtatus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Spot-breasted Wren
LC

Spot-breasted Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pheugopedius maculipectus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Black-and-white Warbler
LC

Black-and-white Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mniotilta varia

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Masked Tityra
LC

Masked Tityra

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tityra semifasciata

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Wood Thrush
LC

Wood Thrush

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hylocichla mustelina

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

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 Tikal National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Gnatcatcher sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 158 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

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

October has the highest sighting rate for Tropical Gnatcatcher in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.

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