Black-tailed Gnatcatcher vs Masked Gnatcatcher

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Polioptila melanura

Tiny5 gShrubland

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.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Millie Basden · CC BY 4.0

Masked Gnatcatcher

Polioptila dumicola

Tiny7 gWoodland

The 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. The nominate male has a large black mask with a thin white line below it. Its forehead, crown, nape, and upperparts are blue-gray. Its tail is mostly black with white outer feathers. Its throat is pale gray fading to whitish on the belly. The nominate female does not have a mask but instead a black crescent down from the eye. Its upperparts are duller and not as bluish. P. d. Voice: The nominate masked gnatcatcher's loudsong is "variable, short, sweet and musical" . P. d. berlepschi's loudsong is quite different: . The species also has a variety of calls .

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Pablo Bombín · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and Masked Gnatcatcher.