Tropical Gnatcatcher (Polioptila plumbea) [XC835180]
by Francisco contreras from Dr. Leon Croizat (near Coro), Miranda, Falc\u00f3n, Venezuela (song)
Tropical Gnatcatcher (Polioptila plumbea) [XC451633]
by JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA from S\u00edtio Pau Preto, Potengi-CE, Cear\u00e1, Brazil (song)
Subspecies
Possibly forms a superspecies with Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher (Polioptila lactea), and some earlier suggestions that they may be conspecific. Subspecies form at least three distinct groups, i.e. the "bilineata group" (also including superciliaris, brodkorbi and cinericia), the "nominate group" (with anteocularis, daguae, innotata, parvirostris, plumbiceps and atricapilla) and maior. Subspecies maior is almost certainly a separate species. Relative distributions of nominate subspecies and innotata in eastern Brazil (in region roughly from central Pará east to west-central Maranhío) unclear. Further study is required. Original description of cinericia based on comparison with bilineata, rather than with adjacent mainland superciliaris. Name of subspecies maior has sometimes been listed as "andina" and this name may indeed refer to this taxon, but "maior" still retains priority.
The following 12 subspecies are recognised:
brodkorbi Parkes, 1979 - Lowlands of southern Mexico (eastern Veracruz and north-eastern Oaxaca east to eastern Yucatán Peninsula) south through lowlands of northern and east-central Guatemala and Belize to northern Costa Rica.
superciliaris Lawrence, 1861 - Lowlands from north-central Costa Rica south to southern Panama, possibly to northern Colombia.
cinericia Wetmore, 1957 - Coiba I, off southern Panama.
bilineata (Bonaparte, 1850) - Caribbean and Pacific coasts of north-western Colombia south, west of Andes, to north-western Peru (north-western La Libertad). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, White-browed Gnatcatcher (Polioptila bilineata).
daguae Chapman, 1915 - Upper Cauca Valley (central Valle south to central-southern Cauca), in southern Colombia.
anteocularis Hellmayr, 1900 - Upper Magdalena Valley (Huila), in southern Colombia.
plumbiceps Lawrence, 1865 - North-eastern and eastern Colombia (central La Guajira southern in lowlands to central-northern Boyaca, south-central Casanare and central Meta) and Venezuela (including Margarita I).
innotata Hellmayr, 1901 - Eastern Colombia (eastern Vichada, north-eastern Guainia) east to central Guyana and northern Brazil (south to north-eastern Roraima, western Pará, northern Tocantins and north-central Goiás).
plumbea (Gmelin, 1788) - Suriname, French Guiana, and northern Brazil (central to north-western Pará, eastern and north-western Maranhío).
parvirostris Sharpe, 1885 - East of Andes in eastern Ecuador, northern Peru (Loreto south to northern San Martín) and north-western Brazil.
maior Hellmayr, 1900 - Upper Marañón Valley (central Amazonas south through central and eastern Cajamarca, eastern Piura and eastern La Libertad), in north-western Peru. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Maranon Gnatcatcher (Polioptila maior).
atricapilla (Swainson, 1831) - North-eastern Brazil (lowlands from central Maranhío east to Ceará and Pernambuco and south to eastern and central Bahia and northern Minas Gerais).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet