Polioptila Explained

Polioptila is a genus of small insectivorous birds in the family Polioptilidae. They are found in North and South America.

The genus Polioptila was introduced by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1855. Although he listed several members, he did not specify a type species.^[1] This was designated by the American ornithologist Spencer Baird in 1864 as Montacilla caerulea, Linnaeus, now the blue-grey gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea.^{[2] [3]} The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek words πολιος polios "grey" and πτιλον Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ptilon "plumage".^[4]

The genus contains 17 species:^[5]

• Rio Negro gnatcatcher, Polioptila facilis – split from P. guianensis
• Guianan gnatcatcher, Polioptila guianensis
• Slate-throated gnatcatcher, Polioptila schistaceigula
• Para gnatcatcher, Polioptila paraensis – split from P. guianensis
• Iquitos gnatcatcher, Polioptila clementsi – described in 2005
• Inambari gnatcatcher, Polioptila attenboroughi – described in 2013
• Tropical gnatcatcher, Polioptila plumbea
• Creamy-bellied gnatcatcher, Polioptila lactea
• Masked gnatcatcher, Polioptila dumicola
• Cuban gnatcatcher, Polioptila lembeyei
• Yucatan gnatcatcher, Polioptila albiventris
• White-browed gnatcatcher, Polioptila bilineata – split from P. plumbea
• Blue-grey gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea
• Black-tailed gnatcatcher, Polioptila melanura
• California gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica
• Black-capped gnatcatcher, Polioptila nigriceps
• White-lored gnatcatcher, Polioptila albiloris

Notes and References

1. Sclater . P.L. . Philip Sclater . 1855 . On the genus Culicivora of Swainson, and its component species . Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London . 23 . 11–12 .
2. Book: Baird, Spencer Fullerton . Spencer Fullerton Baird . 1864 . Review of American birds, in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution . Part 1, North and Middle America . Washington . Smithsonian Institution . 67 .
3. Book: Mayr . Ernst . Ernst Mayr . Paynter . Raymond A. Jr . 1964 . Check-list of Birds of the World . 10 . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 448 .
4. Web site: Jobling . J.A. . 2019 . Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology . del Hoyo . J. . Elliott . A. . Sargatal . J. . Christie . D.A. . de Juana . E. . Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive . Lynx Edicions . 28 January 2019 .
5. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . July 2021 . Dapple-throats, sugarbirds, fairy-bluebirds, kinglets, Elachura, hyliotas, wrens, gnatcatchers . IOC World Bird List Version 11.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 3 June 2021 .