Polioptila

Polioptila
California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Polioptilidae
Genus:	Polioptila Sclater, PL, 1855
Type species
Motacilla caerulea [1] Linnaeus, 1766

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. ^[2] This was designated by the American ornithologist Spencer Baird in 1864 as Montacilla caerulea, Linnaeus, now the blue-grey gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea. ^{[3] [4]} The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek words πολιοςpolios "grey" and πτιλονptilon "plumage". ^[5]

The genus contains 18 species: ^[6]

Image	Common Name	Scientific Name	Distribution
-	Rio Negro gnatcatcher	Polioptila facilis	north of upper Rio Negro
-	Guianan gnatcatcher	Polioptila guianensis	Guiana Shield
	Slate-throated gnatcatcher	Polioptila schistaceigula	Chocó–Magdalena
-	Para gnatcatcher	Polioptila paraensis	southern Amazonia
-	Iquitos gnatcatcher	Polioptila clementsi	Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve (Peru)
	Inambari gnatcatcher	Polioptila attenboroughi	south of the upper Amazon and west of the Madeira River
	Marañón gnatcatcher	Polioptila maior	Marañón valley
	Tropical gnatcatcher	Polioptila plumbea	Central and northern South America
	Creamy-bellied gnatcatcher	Polioptila lactea	southern Atlantic Forest
	Masked gnatcatcher	Polioptila dumicola	central/eastern South America
	Cuban gnatcatcher	Polioptila lembeyei	coastal Cuba
	Yucatan gnatcatcher	Polioptila albiventris	northern Yucatán Peninsula
-	White-browed gnatcatcher	Polioptila bilineata	southern Mexico to central Peru
	Blue-grey gnatcatcher	Polioptila caerulea	central/southern North America
	Black-tailed gnatcatcher	Polioptila melanura	deserts of southwestern USA and northern Mexico
	California gnatcatcher	Polioptila californica	Baja California peninsula
	Black-capped gnatcatcher	Polioptila nigriceps	western Mexico
	White-lored gnatcatcher	Polioptila albiloris	southwestern Mexico and Central America

• 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
• Marañón gnatcatcher, Polioptila maior – split from P. plumbea
• 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

References

1. "Polioptilidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
2. Sclater, P.L. (1855). "On the genus Culicivora of Swainson, and its component species". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 23: 11–12.
3. Baird, Spencer Fullerton (1864). Review of American birds, in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Vol. Part 1, North and Middle America. Washington: Smithsonian Institution. p. 67.
4. Mayr, Ernst; Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, eds. (1964). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 10. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 448.
5. Jobling, J.A. (2019). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
6. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2024). "Dapple-throats, sugarbirds, fairy-bluebirds, kinglets, Elachura, hyliotas, wrens, gnatcatchers". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 27 October 2024.