Polioptila
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. This was designated by the American ornithologist Spencer Baird in 1864 as Montacilla caerulea, Linnaeus, now the blue-grey gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea. The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek words πολιος polios "grey" and πτιλον ptilon "plumage".
The genus contains 16 species:
- Blue-grey gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea
- Black-tailed gnatcatcher, Polioptila melanura
- California gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica
- Cuban gnatcatcher, Polioptila lembeyei
- White-lored gnatcatcher, Polioptila albiloris
- Yucatan gnatcatcher, Polioptila albiventris
- Black-capped gnatcatcher, Polioptila nigriceps
- Tropical gnatcatcher, Polioptila plumbea
- Creamy-bellied gnatcatcher, Polioptila lactea
- Guianan gnatcatcher, Polioptila guianensis
- Rio Negro gnatcatcher, Polioptila facilis – split from P. guianensis
- Para gnatcatcher, Polioptila paraensis – split from P. guianensis
- Inambari gnatcatcher, Polioptila attenboroughi – described in 2013
- Iquitos gnatcatcher, Polioptila clementsi – described in 2005
- Slate-throated gnatcatcher, Polioptila schistaceigula
- Masked gnatcatcher, Polioptila dumicola
