gnatcatcher

American  

[nat-kach-er] / ˈnætˌkætʃ ər /

noun

1. any tiny insect-eating, New World warbler of the genus Polioptila, having a long, mobile tail and a slender bill.

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gnatcatcher British  

/ ˈnætˌkætʃə /

noun

1. any of various small American songbirds of the genus Polioptila and related genera, typically having a long tail and a pale bluish-grey plumage: family Muscicapidae (Old World flycatchers, etc)

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Etymology

Origin of gnatcatcher

First recorded in 1835–45; gnat + catcher

Example Sentences

And if it is feeling somewhat cosmopolitan, the blue-gray gnatcatcher goes by its French name - Gobemoucheron gris-bleu.

From Washington Times • May 12, 2018

The coastal gnatcatcher has less white in its tail feathers, for example.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2016

The Fish and Wildlife Service turned down that petition but did not dispute the findings, instead suggesting that the petitioners conduct a deeper analysis probing the nucleus of gnatcatcher cells.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2016

That will not only help the gnatcatcher but also ease pressures on many other declining species that inhabit the scrub.

From Time Magazine Archive

Here, every day, were to be heard the glorious song of the cardinal grosbeak, the insect-like effort of the blue-gray gnatcatcher, and the rigmarole of the yellow-breasted chat.

From Birds in the Bush by Torrey, Bradford