Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
A tiny, long-tailed, thin-billed songbird. Soft blue-gray above and whitish below, with a thin white eyering. Breeding males have a black band across the forehead. Forages actively for insects, often actively twitching its long tail. Can be found singly or in pairs, sometimes with mixed flocks of other songbirds, especially during migration. Two populations: Eastern birds breed in deciduous woodlands, often near water; western birds typically breed in drier, brushier habitats. Winters from the southern U.S. to northern Central America. Compare with Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, especially the tail pattern from below: Blue-gray is mostly white, with very limited black. Also very similar to Black-capped Gnatcatcher on the wintering grounds in West Mexico; Blue-gray has a higher-pitched call.
Identification
It is 10–13 cm (3.9–5.1 in) in length, 6.3 in (16 cm) in wingspan, and weighing only 5–7 g (0.18–0.25 oz). Adult males are blue-gray on the upperparts with white underparts, slender dark bill, and a long black tail edged in white. Females are less blue, while juveniles are greenish-gray. Both sexes have a white eye ring.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Polioptila caerulea
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Polioptilidae
- Genus
- Polioptila
Range and habitat
The blue-gray gnatcatcher's breeding habitat includes open deciduous woods and shrublands in southern Ontario, the eastern and southwestern United States, and Mexico. Though gnatcatcher species are common and increasing in number while expanding to the northeast,[full citation needed] it is the only one to breed in Eastern North America. They migrate to the southern United States, Mexico, northern Central America (Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras), Cuba, the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Cayman Islands.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Fuscous Flycatcher
Cnemotriccus fuscatus
Medium-sized flycatcher found in a variety of dense scrubby habitats often close to water. Note the pale wingbars and eyebrows that contrast with the gray-brown back and yellowish belly. Several distinctive subspecies differ in plumage tones, extent of the eyebrow, bill color, and call. Similar to Euler's Flycatcher, but with a strong eyebrow. The song is a sharp “jet-jet-pew-pew,” with more emphasis on the last note.
Indian Roller
Coracias benghalensis
A brightly colored bird with various shades of blue on the wings, tails, and belly that are often more prominent in flight. Note the longitudinal white streaks on the throat and breast. Indochinese Roller has a purple-blue breast, a darker olive back, and is generally darker blue. Generally silent, but more vocal in breeding season with harsh calls. Prefers open areas, including agricultural landscapes, sitting on exposed perches including electric wires, occasionally pumping its tail slowly. Practically a resident roller with some movements in the western parts of its range.
Cinnamon Screech-Owl
Megascops petersoni
Small screech-owl with a scattered distribution in the Andes. It inhabits cloud forest in southeastern Ecuador and northern Peru, as well as a few locations in Colombia and Venezuela. Most birds have bright cinnamon-buff plumage, but some are brown and tan. Distinguished from the similar Rufescent Screech-Owl by the lack of any white marks on the shoulders, and by voice. Song is a fast, rising and falling series of soft “pu” notes. The speed at which the notes are given is quite variable.
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