Summary ⁵

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) is a very small songbird.

Distribution ⁶

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ranges over most of the United States east of the Mississippi, excluding Maine. It can also be found throughout Mexico, Cuba, Texas, Oklahoma, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico. During the winter, gnatcatchers migrate to Central and South America.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )

Morphology ⁷

Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are small birds, with a comparatively long tails. They are bluish-grey above and white below. The color of the bases of the wings blends into the black coloring at the tips. The tail is black with white streaks interspersed. There are prominent thin white rings around each eye.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Average mass: 6.5 g.

Diagnostic description ⁸

See Dunn and Garrett (1987) for detailed treatment of field identification of this and other North American gnatcatchers.

Habitat ⁹

Gnatcatchers enjoy a wide range of woodland habitats, from shrublands to mature forests. They tend to avoid coniferous forests and concentrate largely along habitat edges. Some of their habitats include floodplain forests, lakeside habitats, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and arid, subtropical shrubbery.

Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest

Migration ¹⁰

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Breeding populations north of the southern U.S. are migratory.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/7457894@N04/4196627607
2. (c) Original uploader was Albuttlee at en.wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Blue-Gray_Gnatcatcher.jpg
3. (c) mauricholas, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Blue-gray_gnatcatcher.jpg/460px-Blue-gray_gnatcatcher.jpg
4. (c) Francisco Farriols Sarabia, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Francisco Farriols Sarabia
5. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polioptila_caerulea
6. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31416910
7. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31416912
8. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28916670
9. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31416911
10. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28916673

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CalPhotos
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• VertNet
• Xeno-canto

Range Map

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