Black-capped Gnatcatcher
Black-capped Gnatcatcher
Polioptila nigriceps
At a Glance
This small songbird from western Mexico has been flirting with the Arizona border since the early 1970s. It has appeared in many different canyons in southeastern Arizona, and it has been known to nest there a number of times. Its occurrence is still erratic, however, and it does not seem to become permanently established in any one locality. In feeding and nesting behavior, it is quite similar to our other gnatcatchers.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Old World Warblers and Gnatcatchers, Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Desert and Arid Habitats, Forests and Woodlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Region
Southwest
Behavior
Direct Flight, Flitter, Undulating
Population
200.000
Range & Identification
Description
4 1/2 -5" (11-13 cm). Underside of tail mostly white (as on Blue-gray Gnatcatcher), but male has black cap in spring and summer (like male Black-tailed Gnatcatcher). Female is very similar to Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, but slightly longer-billed.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Black, Blue, Gray, White
Wing Shape
Rounded
Tail Shape
Long, Rounded
Songs and Calls
Buzzy and whining calls like those of Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.
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