Photo: Nick Athanas / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Slate-throated Gnatcatcher
Polioptila schistaceigula
Slate-throated Gnatcatcher (Polioptila schistaceigula) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Slate-throated Gnatcatcher (Polioptila schistaceigula) is a member of the Polioptilidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 6 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 schistaceigula
Quick facts
- Weight
- 6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Polioptilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Slate-throated Gnatcatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Slate-throated Gnatcatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Slate-throated Gnatcatcher (Polioptila schistaceigula) is a species of bird in the Polioptilidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Panama to Ecuador.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 6 g, with a wing length of about 4.5 cm and a tail of around 4.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 145,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Slate-throated Gnatcatcher?
The Slate-throated Gnatcatcher is a very small bird that weighs around 6 g.
Where does the Slate-throated Gnatcatcher live?
The Slate-throated Gnatcatcher is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Panama to Ecuador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Slate-throated Gnatcatcher belong to?
The Slate-throated Gnatcatcher (Polioptila schistaceigula) belongs to the Polioptilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Slate-throated Gnatcatcher eat?
The Slate-throated Gnatcatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Slate-throated Gnatcatcher migrate?
The Slate-throated Gnatcatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Slate-throated 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 Slate-throated Gnatcatcher make?
1 real field recording of the Slate-throated Gnatcatcher — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Slate-throated Gnatcatcher's range?
The Slate-throated Gnatcatcher has a mapped global range of about 145,000 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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