| Cuban gnatcatcher | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Polioptilidae |
| Genus: | Polioptila |
| Species: | P. lembeyei |
| Binomial name | |
| Polioptila lembeyei (Gundlach, 1858) | |
 | |
The Cuban gnatcatcher (Polioptila lembeyei) is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae, the gnatcatchers. It is endemic to Cuba. [2]
"The Cuban Gnatcatcher was described by the most famous of this island’s ornithologists, the naturalised Juan (Johannes) Gundlach". It was named in honor of Juan Lembeye. [3]
The Cuban gnatcatcher is 10 to 11 cm (3.9 to 4.3 in) long and weighs 4.5 to 5 g (0.16 to 0.18 oz) and is among the smallest members of genus Polioptila. Like most members of the genus, the male is blue-gray above and white below. It has a unique black crescent behind the eye and ear coverts and a long black tail with white outer feathers. The female is similar but paler, and its facial crescent is thinner. The juvenile is olive-gray above and has buffy flanks, a creamy belly, and only a faint facial crescent. [3]
The Cuban gnatcatcher is found along much of the north and southeast coasts of Cuba and also in disjunct areas along the south coast. It inhabits xeric scrubland, mostly below 100 m (330 ft) of elevation. [3]
The Cuban gnatcatcher's diet has not been thoroughly documented; it is assumed to be small insects and spiders. It forages actively among the lower branches of vegetation. [3]
The Cuban gnatcatcher's breeding season extends from March to July. Its nest is a deep cup constructed by both sexes using hair, vegetable fibers, and small leaves and lined with softer material. It hangs from a fork in a small branch of a spiny bush up to 6.4 m (21 ft) above the ground. The clutch size varies from two to five but is usually three. [3] In a detailed study cited by Atwood et al (2020), 35 of 38 clutches were predated before the young fledged. [4]
The Cuban gnatcatcher's song is "a sustained rambling, disorganized series of warbles, whistles and chattering notes" . [3]
The IUCN has assessed the Cuban gnatcatcher as being of Least Concern. [1] However, "[its] restricted habitat is considered vulnerable to grazing and habitat conversion." [3]
The 21 species of small passerine birds in the gnatcatcher family occur in North and South America. Most species of this mainly tropical and subtropical group are resident, but the blue-grey gnatcatcher of the United States and southern Canada migrates south in winter. They are close relatives of the wrens.
The blue-gray gnatcatcher or blue-grey gnatcatcher is a very small songbird native to North America.
The Iquitos gnatcatcher is a bird in the family Polioptilidae. It was first described in 2005. It is known only from the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve, west of Iquitos, Peru.
The California gnatcatcher is a small 10.8 cm (4.3 in) long insectivorous bird which frequents dense coastal sage scrub growth. This species was recently split from the similar black-tailed gnatcatcher of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. This bird is often solitary, but joins with other birds in winter flocks.
The tropical gnatcatcher is a small active insectivorous songbird, which is a resident species throughout a large part of the Neotropics. There are large geographical variations in its voice and plumage, resulting in some populations sometimes being considered separate species, notably the bilineata group as the white-browed gnatcatcher, and the taxon maior as the Marañón gnatcatcher.
The black-capped gnatcatcher is a small songbird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Mexico and the United States.
The tawny-faced gnatwren or half-collared gnatwren is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae, the gnatcatchers. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.
The collared gnatwren is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae, the gnatcatchers. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
The white-lored gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
Polioptila is a genus of small insectivorous birds in the family Polioptilidae. They are found in North and South America.
The masked gnatcatcher is a small songbird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The Guianan gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
The creamy-bellied gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
The slate-throated gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.
The spotted bamboowren is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae, the tapaculos. It is found in southeastern Brazil, far northeastern Argentina, and possibly Paraguay.
The white-browed gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the gnatcatcher family Polioptilidae. It is native to central and South America.
The Rio Negro gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is endemic to Brazil.
The Para gnatcatcher or Klages's gnatcatcher, is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is endemic to Brazil.
The Inambari gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is endemic to Brazil.
The Yucatan gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.
