gnatcatcher

noun

gnat·​catch·​er ˈnat-ˌka-chər 

-ˌke-

: any of a genus (Polioptila) of several small North and South American insectivorous passerine birds

Examples of gnatcatcher in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Both properties contain diverse native plant and animal life, including southern mixed chaparral, coastal sage scrub, coastal California gnatcatcher, southwestern pond turtle, and western spadefoot toad. —Stacy Brandt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025

The 208-acre Fairview Park is a biodiversity hotspot containing five habitat ecosystems with rare and endangered plants and animals, including the burrowing owl, Crotch’s bumble bee and coastal gnatcatcher. —Claire Wang, Oc Register, 28 Nov. 2025

From a distance, they are easily confused with other gnatcatchers, vireos and kinglets. —Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 7 Feb. 2024

All told, people spotted more than 80 different avian species munching on the insects, from large trumpeter swans to teeny-tiny blue-gray gnatcatchers. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gnatcatcher

• dispatcher
• flycatcher
• catcher
• hatcher
• matcher
• stature