Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
From WikiBird
Contents |
Size
Length: ??cm (??in), Wingspan: ??cm (??in)
Field Marks
Adult: Blue-grey on the upperparts with white underparts, with a long slender bill and a long black tail with white outer tail feathers-mostly white when viewed from below. They have a white eye ring. Male: Black supercilium in breeding season.
Similar species
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is so small but long-tailed that it is only likely to be confused with other gnatcatchers. Male Black-tailed, California, and Black-capped Gnatcatchers have variable amounts of black (depending on season and age) in the crown while Blue-gray Gnatcatchers lack any black in the crown. Female gnatcatchers, other than the Blue-gray, have their upperparts tinged with brown. Black-tailed and California Gnatcatchers have blacker tails when viewed from below and typically have grayer underparts.
Sounds
Feeding & Behavior
Forage actively in trees or shrubs, mainly eating insects, insect eggs and spiders. They may hover over foliage or fly to catch insects in flight. The tail is often held upright while defending territory or searching for food.
Habitat & Nesting
Breeds in open deciduous woods and shrublands. They build a cup nest similar in construction to a hummingbird nest on a horizontal tree branch. Both parents construct the nest and feed the young; they may raise two broods in a season.
Range
Breeds in southern Ontario, the eastern and southwestern United States and Mexico. These birds migrate to the southern United States, Central and South America.
Resources
