A tiny gray bird with a tiny range, the California Gnatcatcher flits through coastal sage scrub and desert scrub from southern California to southern Baja California, Mexico. This petite bird flicks its long, narrow black tail as it hops through the dry waist-high scrub.

The California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica) is a small 10.8 cm (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.

The gnatcatcher is found on the coastal slopes of southern California, from southern Ventura southward through Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties into Baja California, Mexico, to approximately 30 degrees North latitude near El Rosario.

A tiny gray bird with a tiny range, the California Gnatcatcher flits through coastal sage scrub and desert scrub from southern California to southern Baja California, Mexico. This petite bird flicks its long, narrow black tail as it hops through the dry waist-high scrub.

Until the late 1980s, this bird was regarded as just a local form of the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. With its recognition as a full species, it also became an endangered species: its limited habitat along the southern California coast is being taken over by housing tracts and other developments.

A tiny gray bird with a tiny range, the California Gnatcatcher flits through coastal sage scrub and desert scrub from southern California to southern Baja California, Mexico. This petite bird flicks its long, narrow black tail as it hops through the dry waist-high scrub.

Listen for harsh scolding calls. Learn more about California Gnatcatcher from… Small, long-tailed songbird; similar to other gnatcatchers but darker gray overall. Male has black cap; female shows brownish tones to plumage.

The coastal California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) is a small, blue-gray songbird living year-round in Southern California’s coastal sage scrub, a low shrubby habitat. The adult male bird has a black “cap” during the breeding season (February-August) while the female has a gray head and is more brownish-gray on the back.

The coastal California gnatcatcher is a small blue-gray songbird which measures only 4.5 inches (11 cm) and weighs 0.2 ounces (6 grams). It has dark blue-gray feathers on its back and grayish-white feathers on its underside.

2024年5月31日 · From the beaches of Baja California, Mexico, stretching north to the cliffs of Santa Barbara, California, a peculiar sound can be heard in the coastal brush. Part kitten's meow, part puppy’s squeaky toy, the California gnatcatcher can startle any hiker or passerby.