Perching

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Polioptila melanura
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher thumbnail
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 | Robert Shantz


Chaparral

Desert

Mesquite bosque

Shrubs
Bird Sound Type: Grating
Sex of Bird: Male
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Bird Sound Type: Grating
Sex of Bird: Male
Sonogram Large:
Sonogram Zoom:
Bird Sound Type: Grating
Sex of Bird: Male
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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: July 13, 2017
  • Date accessed: March 7, 2024
  • Link: https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/bird/black-tailed-gnatcatcher

APA Style

Dr. Biology. (2017, July 13). Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. ASU - Ask A Biologist. Retrieved March 7, 2024 from https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/bird/black-tailed-gnatcatcher

American Psychological Association. For more info, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/

Chicago Manual of Style

Dr. Biology. "Black-tailed Gnatcatcher". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 13 July, 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. 7 Mar 2024. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/bird/black-tailed-gnatcatcher

Modern Language Association, 7th Ed. For more info, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/
Green, yellow, orange, and pink leaves
Why do leaves change color in the fall season?

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