Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Polioptila melanura
Perching
Length: 4 in. (11 cm )
Pairs of Black-tailed Gnatcatchers are a common sight in open desert scrub where they are constantly flitting through the low vegetation moving their long tails up and down and side to side. They catch small insects and spiders on leaves and often fly up to hover and snatch insects off more inaccessible vegetation. The small cup-shaped nest is placed low in a fork of a small bush or tree. It is constructed of downy plant material and spider webbing. The male has a blackish cap during the breeding season but loses it in the winter.
The four-digit banding code is BTGN.
Female |
Male |
Chaparral
Desert
Mesquite bosque
Shrubs
Bibliographic details:
- Article: Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
- Author(s): Dr. Biology
- Publisher: Arizona State University School of Life Sciences Ask A Biologist
- Site name: ASU - Ask A Biologist
- Date published: 13 Jul, 2017
- Date accessed:
- Link: https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/bird/black-tailed-gnatcatcher
APA Style
Dr. Biology. (Thu, 07/13/2017 - 15:36). Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. ASU - Ask A Biologist. Retrieved from https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/bird/black-tailed-gnatcatcher
Chicago Manual of Style
Dr. Biology. "Black-tailed Gnatcatcher". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 13 Jul 2017. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/bird/black-tailed-gnatcatcher
MLA 2017 Style
Dr. Biology. "Black-tailed Gnatcatcher". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 13 Jul 2017. ASU - Ask A Biologist, Web. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/bird/black-tailed-gnatcatcher
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