Black-capped Gnatcatcher
Polioptila nigriceps
The black-capped gnatcatcher is 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) long and weighs 5 to 8 g (0.18 to 0.28 oz). Adults are blue-gray on the upperparts with white underparts. They have a long slender bill and a long black tail with mostly white outer feathers. Males in alternate (breeding) plumage have a glossy black cap. The female's gray upperparts have less of a bluish tint but are otherwise similar to the non-breeding male. This species is very similar to the black-tailed gnatcatcher (P. melanura). Voice: The black-capped gnatcatcher's song is complex and rambling . It also has a "mewing" call that is sometimes repeated .
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
California Gnatcatcher
Polioptila californica
The male California gnatcatcher is dusky gray overall, distinguished only by its black crown and thin black beak. It has a long, thin black tail with narrow white tips and edges on the underside of the tail feathers. However, the male loses its plumage colors by winter and obtains a plumage color similar to the females. The female is similar to the male, but with a blue-gray instead of a black crown.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-capped Gnatcatcher and California Gnatcatcher.