Cuban Gnatcatcher
Polioptila lembeyei
A small, energetic, gray-and-white bird that tends to waggle its long tail. Typically feeds low in dense scrub. Endemic to Cuba and offshore islands. Calls include a repeated “da-JIP,” a rapid squeaky “ji-ji-ji-ji-ji,” and a more classic gnatcatcher “zheee.” Note white face outlined with a thin black line, which readily distinguishes Cuban from Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.
Identification
The Cuban gnatcatcher is 10 to 11 cm (3.9 to 4.3 in) long and weighs 4.5 to 5 g (0.16 to 0.18 oz) and is among the smallest members of genus Polioptila. Like most members of the genus, the male is blue-gray above and white below. It has a unique black crescent behind the eye and ear coverts and a long black tail with white outer feathers. The female is similar but paler, and its facial crescent is thinner. The juvenile is olive-gray above and has buffy flanks, a creamy belly, and only a faint facial crescent.
Taxonomy
"The Cuban gnatcatcher was described by the most famous of this island’s ornithologists, the naturalised Juan (Johannes) Gundlach". It was named in honor of Juan Lembeye.<p>The Cuban gnatcatcher is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Polioptila lembeyei
- Authority
- (Gundlach, 1858)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Polioptilidae
- Genus
- Polioptila
Range and habitat
The Cuban gnatcatcher is found along much of the north and southeast coasts of Cuba and also in disjunct areas along the south coast. It inhabits xeric scrubland, mostly below 100 m (330 ft) of elevation.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Cuban gnatcatcher's diet has not been thoroughly documented; it is assumed to be small insects and spiders. It forages actively among the lower branches of vegetation.<p>The Cuban gnatcatcher's breeding season extends from March to July. Its nest is a deep cup constructed by both sexes using hair, vegetable fibers, and small leaves and lined with softer material. It hangs from a fork in a small branch of a spiny bush up to 6.4 m (21 ft) above the ground. The clutch size varies from two to five but is usually three. In a detailed study cited by Atwood et al (2020), 35 of 38 clutches were predated before the young fledged.<p>The Cuban gnatcatcher's song is "a sustained rambling, disorganized series of warbles, whistles and chattering notes" [1].
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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