Tropical Gnatcatcher
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| Polioptila plumbea (Gmelin, 1788) |
The Tropical Gnatcatcher (Polioptila plumbea) is a small insectivorous songbird which is a resident breeding species from southern Mexico to western Peru and the Amazon basin of Brazil. It is generally rare on the eastward slope of the Andes, but may be common locally, e.g. in the Serranía de los Churumbelos[1].
The adult Tropical Gnatcatcher is 4-5 in (10-12.7 cm) long, weighs 0.23 oz (6.5 g) and has a long thin bill. The male has a black crown, neck sides and stripe behind the eye. The upperparts are blue-grey, the wings are blackish with white edging on the tertials, and the long, thin black tail has narrow white tips and edges. The face and belly are white, and the rest of the underparts are pale grey. The female is similar to the male, but with a dark grey, rather than black, crown. Young birds have a brown tinge to the upperparts and face, and whiter underparts.
The Tropical Gnatcatcher has a thin buzzy gezzz call and a trilled swee see see si si si su su song.
This gnatcatcher is a resident breeder in lowlands and foothills from sea level to about 5,000 ft (1500 m) altitude. It is found in the canopy of wet or dry primary forest and tall secondary forest, with trees of about 65 ft (20 m) or more. It readily visits lower levels and semi-open habitats such as woodland edge and clearings, but avoids dense undergrowth.[1]
The Tropical Gnatcatcher gleans spiders and their eggs, beetles, caterpillars and other insects from outer twigs and foliage. Moving about alone or in pairs, it often joins mixed-species feeding flocks with tanagers, New World warblers and honeycreepers, and is unafraid of humans.
The nest is a small cup like that of a hummingbird, constructed from vegetable fibres 6.5 - 28 ft (2-8 m) high on a tree branch. The female lays two or three brown-spotted white eggs in May and June.
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Polioptila plumbea. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 06 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Hilty, Steven L. (2003): Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
- Salaman, Paul G.W.; Stiles, F. Gary; Bohórquez, Clara Isabel; Álvarez-R., Mauricio; Umaña, Ana María; Donegan, Thomas M. & Cuervo, Andrés M. (2002): New and noteworthy bird records from the east slope of the Andes of Colombia. Caldasia 24(1): 157-189. PDF fulltext
- Stiles, F. Gary & Skutch, Alexander Frank (1989): A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Comistock, Ithaca. ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
[edit] External links
- Tropical Gnatcatcher: Photos, vocalizations from "Avifauna of the Interior of Ceará, Brasil"
