Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
From WikiBird
Contents |
Size
Length: ??cm (4.5 to 5in), Wingspan: ??cm (??in)
Field Marks
Thin bill, white eye ring, blue-gray upperparts, whitish underparts, brownish wash to wings. Long, black tail with white outer tail feathers-mostly black when viewed from below. Male: Black cap.
Similar species
The Black-tailed Gnatcatcher is so small but long-tailed that it is only likely to be confused with other gnatcatchers. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher has a whiter tail when viewed from below and lacks the brownish wash to the wings. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers lack the black cap of the male Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. California Gnatcatchers are grayer below, have less white in the tail and have a different call. The very local (Southeast Arizona) Black-capped Gnatcatcher has more white in the tail when viewed from below, a longer bill and males have a downward black projection at the rear of the cap.
Sounds
Harsh, scolding call.
Feeding & Behavior
Forages for small insects and spiders in desert shrubs. Very small, active bird.
Habitat & Nesting
Arid desert areas year-round.
Range
Throughout the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is nonmigratory.
Resources
