Wildlife Clinic
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Species

Blue-gray gnatcatcher

Polioptila caerulea

A tiny, long-tailed blue-grey bird that builds a lichen-covered nest bound with spider silk.

A male blue-gray gnatcatcher perched on a twig, slender and blue-grey above with a white belly, a thin black eyebrow, a white eye-ring and a long black-and-white tail.

Photo Unknown photographer (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC0 1.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size
About 10 to 13 cm long
Weight
About 5 to 7 g
Habitat
Open woods, woodland edges and shrubby areas
Diet
Small insects and spiders
In Georgia
A common summer resident; some winter in the south
Voice
A thin, wheezy "zpee"
Rabies vector
No

Identification

Key marks
Tiny; blue-grey above, white below; white eye-ring; long black tail with white edges, often flicked
Told apart from
Ruby-crowned kinglet, which is olive with a short tail
Where to look
Woodland edges, flicking its tail as it forages

Behaviour

Blue-grey gnatcatchers flick their tails constantly, possibly to flush insects. Both parents build a tiny cup nest of plant down bound with spider silk and covered in lichen.

Why they matter

Gnatcatchers eat many small insects in the tree canopy. They have expanded their range north in recent decades.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A small cup of plant down and spider silk, covered with lichen
Eggs — Usually four or five
Incubation — About 11 to 15 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about 10 to 15 days
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

  • Pesticides remove the tiny insects they eat.

Misconceptions

  • Gnatcatchers eat only gnats. They take many kinds of small insects and spiders.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
BreedingJan: noFeb: noMar: noApr: noMay: noJun: noJul: noAug: noSep: noOct: noNov: noDec: no
Active nestsJan: noFeb: noMar: noApr: noMay: noJun: noJul: noAug: noSep: noOct: noNov: noDec: no
NotesA few wintering in the southFew presentArrivingNestingNestingChicksYoung fledgingPresentLeavingLast birdsA few winteringA few wintering

Where it lives

Recorded in 80 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

United States

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

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