Microbates cinereiventris
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The tawny-faced gnatwren or half-collared gnatwren (Microbates cinereiventris) is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae, the gnatcatchers. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.
The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and BirdLife International (BLI) recognize seven subspecies of tawny-faced gnatwren: Microbates cinereiventris semitorquatus Lawrence (1862) Microbates cinereiventris albapiculus Olson (1980)
Microbates cinereiventris magdalenae Chapman (1915) Microbates cinereiventris cinereiventris Sclater (1855) Microbates cinereiventris unicus Olson (1980) Microbates cinereiventris hormotus Olson (1980) Microbates cinereiventris peruvianus Chapman (1923)
However, the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (SACC/AOS) and the Clements taxonomy have not accepted the three subspecies that Olson described but include them within M. c. peruvianus.
The tawny-faced gnatwren is 9 to 11 cm (3.5 to 4.3 in) long and weighs 10 to 14 g (0.35 to 0.49 oz). The nominate subspecies has a rusty face with a rufous crown and a thin black stripe behind the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chagres National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Utría National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 5 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 6 | San Lorenzo Protected Forest | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 9 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 10 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 11 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 12 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny-faced Gnatwren sighting in Braulio Carrillo National Park on a given day, based on 266 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 202nd most-seen of the 505 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October and December–March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny-faced Gnatwren in Braulio Carrillo National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–September and November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tawny-faced Gnatwren sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 12 parks where we can rate Tawny-faced Gnatwren sightings, Braulio Carrillo National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Chagres National Park (Panama, about 10%) and Arenal Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
Same family: Polioptilidae
The closest relatives of the Tawny-faced Gnatwren that you can see in Braulio Carrillo National Park (family Polioptilidae, Gnatcatchers and Gnatwrens) are Tropical Gnatcatcher (about 10%) and Long-billed Gnatwren (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tawny-faced Gnatwren is recorded against all the birds logged in Braulio Carrillo National Park (266 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
