See pictures of a blue=gray gnatcatcher. Plus, find out where these small songbirds live, what they eat, and how they build nests.
Though often difficult to spot, the blue-gray gnatcatcher is a beautiful, quick-moving bird worth keeping an eye out for. Learn how to identify these small birds and where to find them.
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What Does a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher Look Like?
“What’s this bird?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Julie Konetzki of South Elgin, Illinois.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman have the answer, “The most unusual thing about this bird is the fact that you took a good photo of it! This is a blue-gray gnatcatcher. They are recognized by their small size, blue-gray back, white eye ring and long tail with white outer feathers.”
Meet the flycatcher birds flying under the radar.
Where Do Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers Live?
Reader Wayne Bridges shared a picture of a blue-gray gnatcatcher and Kenn and Kimberly wrote, ” You have a lucky sighting there. This pint-size, active bird is a blue-gray gnatcatcher. It’s usually hard to see because it spends most of its time flitting about among tree foliage. Several members of this group live in the Southwest, but the blue-gray gnatcatcher is the only one found in eastern North America.”
Blue-gray gnatcatchers are widespread in summer in the forests of the eastern U.S. and the Southwest, and they spend winter in the southernmost states and Mexico.
See photos of more breathtaking blue colored birds.
What Do Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers Eat?
When it comes to their diets, it’s all about insects—their diet consists of everything from caterpillars to spiders and moths.
Meet the cerulean warbler.
Nests and Eggs
Both male and female blue-gray gnatcatchers work together to construct a cup-like nest, which will typically hold three to five eggs.
“While hiking in a state park, my wife and I noticed this blue-gray gnatcatcher (above) stealing some caterpillar silk to construct its nest,” says reader Travis Bonovsky of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. “Many small songbirds use silk, spiderwebs or animal hair to secure their nests. It was a unique moment to witness!”
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher Song
Bird sounds courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
About the Experts
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.
