Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
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| Polioptila melanura (Lawrence, 1857) |
The Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (Polioptila melanura) is a small, insectivorous bird which ranges throughout the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is nonmigratory and found in arid desert areas year-round.
The Black-tailed Gnatcatcher reaches about 4.5 to 5 inches in length, much of it taken up by a long black tail lined with white outer feathers. The body is blue-gray, with white underparts, and while it is similar to the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, the two birds are differentiated by the amount of black in the tail feathers. The male Black-tailed Gnatcatcher also has a black cap, which the Blue-gray lacks. Like other gnatcatchers, it may give harsh, scolding calls while foraging for small insects and spiders in desert shrubs.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Polioptila melanura. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 10 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Polioptila melanura (TSN 179857). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 24 January 2006.
[edit] External links
- Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
- Black-tailed Gnatcatcher at birdfriends.com
