ComingsBirds.com/2018-2019A-L

to the Beauty of Birds

The California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica) is a small 4.3 in long insectivorous bird which frequents dense coastal sage scrub growth. This species was recently split from the similar black-tailed gnatcatcher of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. This bird is often solitary, but joins with other birds in winter flocks.

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.
California gnatcatchers have very little white on the underside of their tails unlike Glue-grey gnatcatchers which have white outer trim feathers making the tail look white from below.
The male loses its plumage colors by winter, and obtains a plumage color like the females. The female is similar to the male, but with a blue-gray instead of a black crown.

In its range from coastal Southern California south through Baja California and Baja California Sur, this inconspicuous non-migratory resident is most often seen flitting hastily into undergrowth, or heard giving its call, which sounds like a kitten's meow, a rising and falling zeeeeer, zeeeeer.

Though some of its habitat has been saved in national forests and state parks, its population has been severely fragmented. There are, however, ongoing efforts to preserve more open land in southern California to help ensure that this species will not disappear from its former range.

California Gnatcatcher

California Gnatcatcher-69.jpg

California Gnatcatcher-70.jpg

California Gnatcatcher-72.jpg

Califpornia Gnatcatcher-68.jpg