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 "grey" and "plumage".
The genus contains 16 species:AviList Core Team. 2025. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025. https://doi.org/10.2173/avilist.v2025
Image Common name Scientific name Distribution - 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) 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 US 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
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