General Description: Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (Polioptila caerulea) are tiny, blue-gray birds with a distinct, round eyering and a thin, pointy beak. The top of the tail is black with white outer feathers, and the underside of the tail is mostly white. Males have an indistinct, black eyebrow line.

Taxonomy: Passeriformes, Polioptilidae.

Favored Habitat: Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands.

Where to Find: Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are birds of brushy desert canyons and open woodlands. Look for them at Willow Springs and middle elevations on Mt. Charleston during summer.

Comments: Blue-gray Gnatcatchers migrate into our area, and therefore are seen here during the breeding season. Black-tailed Gnatcatchers reside here all year, but during summer, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher are far more numerous. The two species can be hard to tell apart visually, but the feather color under the tail is helpful when they can be seen clearly.