Long-Billed Gnatwren

A small, thin-billed bird of dense understorey and forest edge from Mexico to South America, more often heard than seen as it works through tangled vegetation close to the ground. Its long, gnat-like bill and habit of cocking its tail while gleaning insects from leaves and stems are the best clues once you locate the source of its thin, trilling song. Patience at the edge of dense thickets, especially in mixed-species foraging flocks, is usually needed for a good look.