Photo: Miguel / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Trilling Gnatwren
Ramphocaenus melanurus
Trilling Gnatwren (Ramphocaenus melanurus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Trilling Gnatwren (Ramphocaenus melanurus) is a member of the Polioptilidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 9.7 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 Ramphocaenus
- Species melanurus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Polioptilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Trilling Gnatwren 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 Trilling Gnatwren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Trilling Gnatwren (Ramphocaenus melanurus) belongs to the Polioptilidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA se Mexico through Amazonia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.7 g, with a wing length of about 5 cm and a tail of around 4.2 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 9.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Trilling Gnatwren?
The Trilling Gnatwren is a very small bird that weighs around 9.7 g.
Where does the Trilling Gnatwren live?
The Trilling Gnatwren is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA se Mexico through Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Trilling Gnatwren belong to?
The Trilling Gnatwren (Ramphocaenus melanurus) belongs to the Polioptilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Trilling Gnatwren eat?
The Trilling Gnatwren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Trilling Gnatwren migrate?
The Trilling Gnatwren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Trilling Gnatwren 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 Trilling Gnatwren make?
1 real field recording of the Trilling Gnatwren — 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 Trilling Gnatwren's range?
The Trilling Gnatwren has a mapped global range of about 9.2 million 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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Guides for this bird
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