Polioptila albiloris
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The white-lored gnatcatcher (Polioptila albiloris) is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. The white-lored gnatcatcher was previously considered conspecific with the black-capped gnatcatcher (Polioptila nigriceps). The Yucatan gnatcatcher (P. albiventris) was previously a treated as a subspecies of the white-lored. The white-lored gnatcatcher has two subspecies, the nominate Polioptila albiloris albiloris and P. a. vanrossemi.
The white-lored gnatcatcher is 11 to 12 cm (4.3 to 4.7 in) long and weighs 6 to 9 g (0.21 to 0.32 oz). The nominate male in breeding plumage has a black cap down to the eyes and including the nape. The rest of the upperparts are bluish gray. The tail is black with white outermost feathers. The throat is white becoming pale bluish gray on the breast and flanks. The female has a dark gray cap and the eponymous white lores and supercilium. The juvenile is similar to the female but has browner upperparts. The male P. a. vanrossemi has a larger black cap and longer wings and tail than the nominate. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Las Baulas Marine National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Rincón de la Vieja National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Palo Verde National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Ostional Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Carara National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-lored Gnatcatcher sighting in Carara National Park on a given day, based on 293 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 245th most-seen of the 414 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-lored Gnatcatcher in Carara National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–June and August–November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-lored Gnatcatcher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
8th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate White-lored Gnatcatcher sightings, Carara National Park ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Santa Rosa National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%), Las Baulas Marine National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%) and Cañón del Sumidero National Park (Mexico, about 20%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-lored Gnatcatcher is recorded against all the birds logged in Carara National Park (293 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.
