Tawny-faced Gnatwren

Tawny-faced Gnatwren

Microbates cinereiventris

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Chagres National Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

140 Verified sightings at Chagres National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,044 In all 12 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Tawny-faced Gnatwren

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 →

Sounds

Call0:32

Ecuador · 2021

© Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · XC1178755 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song1:21

Panama · 2019

© Kent Livezey · XC460016 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:09

Ecuador · 1996

© Olaf Jahn · XC262470 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
2 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
3 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
4 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
5 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
6 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
7 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
8 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
9 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
10 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
11 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
12 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Tawny-faced Gnatwren in Chagres National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny-faced Gnatwren sighting in Chagres National Park on a given day, based on 140 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 117th most-seen of the 372 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Tawny-faced Gnatwren in Chagres National Park?

April, August and November

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny-faced Gnatwren in Chagres National Park on a given day, against about 10% in May–July, September–October and December–March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Tawny-faced Gnatwren?

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.

Is Chagres National Park the best place to see a Tawny-faced Gnatwren?

Yes

Of the 12 parks where we can rate Tawny-faced Gnatwren sightings, Chagres National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Arenal Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%) and Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Tawny-faced Gnatwren live in Chagres National Park?

Same family: Polioptilidae

The closest relatives of the Tawny-faced Gnatwren that you can see in Chagres National Park (family Polioptilidae, Gnatcatchers and Gnatwrens) are Long-billed Gnatwren (about 20%) and Tropical Gnatcatcher (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Tawny-faced Gnatwren sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Tawny-faced Gnatwren is recorded against all the birds logged in Chagres National Park (140 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.

← Back to Chagres National Park