Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher

Photo by Francisco Paludo
Parque Estadual Fritz Plaumann, Concórdia, SC, Brazil, November 2016

Polioptila lactea

Identification

10–12 cm (4-4¾ in)

• Cream white underparts
• Cream white forehead, cheeks and throat
• Dark brown crown, back and tail
• Dark iris
• Grey legs

Distribution

South America: found in the lowlands of south-eastern Brazil to eastern Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Habitat

Mixed temperate rainforests, forest edges, woodland shrubs. They are usually to be seen in the canopy.

Behaviour

Diet

They are presumed to feed on small insects and spiders, gleaned from leaves and the ends of twigs, often by hovering. They have been poorly observed, so little information is available.

Breeding

The nest is cupshaped and is built from lichens, leaves and moss. Little detail is available on their breeding behaviour.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2016)
3. Wikipedia
4. The Neotropical Ornithological Society

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Creamy-bellied_Gnatcatcher

External Links

Search for photos of Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher in the gallery