About the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
The black-tailed gnatcatcher is a small, insectivorous bird which ranges throughout the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is nonmigratory and found in arid desert areas year-round.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The black-tailed gnatcatcher reaches about 4.5 to 5 inches in length, much of it taken up by a long black tail lined with white outer feathers. The body is blue-grey, with white underparts, and while it is similar to the blue-grey gnatcatcher, the two birds are differentiated by the amount of black in the tail feathers. The male has a black cap during the summer that extends to the eyes. Females and winter males, lacking the black cap, are difficult to distinguish from the blue-grey gnatcatcher.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher lives
When to see the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Peak activity in March · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Tropical GnatcatcherPolioptila plumbeaThe adult tropical gnatcatcher is 10 to 12 cm (3.9–4.7 in) long, and weighs 6 to 8 g (0.21–0.28 oz).
Masked GnatcatcherPolioptila dumicolaThe masked gnatcatcher is 12 to 13 cm (4.7 to 5.1 in) long and weighs 5 to 7 g (0.18 to 0.25 oz), larger than most other gnatcatchers.
California GnatcatcherPolioptila californicaThe male California gnatcatcher is dusky gray overall, distinguished only by its black crown and thin black beak.
Side by side: Black-tailed Gnatcatcher vs Blue-grey Gnatcatcher · Black-tailed Gnatcatcher vs Tropical Gnatcatcher · Black-tailed Gnatcatcher vs Masked Gnatcatcher
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