Photo: Cláudio Dias Timm / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher
Polioptila lactea
Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher (Polioptila lactea) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher (Polioptila lactea) is a member of the Polioptilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 6.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Polioptilidae Gnatcatchers
- Genus Polioptila
- Species lactea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 6.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Polioptilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher (Polioptila lactea) belongs to the Polioptilidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA e Paraguay, ne Argentina and s Brazil.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 6.5 g, with a wing length of about 4.5 cm and a tail of around 4.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 441,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher?
The Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher is a very small bird that weighs around 6.5 g.
Where does the Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher live?
The Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher is found across South America with a range covering SA e Paraguay, ne Argentina and s Brazil, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher belong to?
The Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher (Polioptila lactea) belongs to the Polioptilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher eat?
The Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher migrate?
The Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher make?
1 real field recording of the Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher's range?
The Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher has a mapped global range of about 441,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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