Some folks have given the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher a nickname – “Little Mockingbird.”
Mike Blevins
While smaller, this gnatcatcher has a similar gray color with white along the outside edges of the tail. Also, just like the mockingbird, our gnatcatcher will borrow song phrases from other species and work them into their repertoire.
One way to identify the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is to watch them catching meals. They flick their tail from side-to-side (to startle insects). This species eats when perched, hovers, and darts out and back from tree limbs catching bugs in midair.
Mike Blevins
It is the only gnatcatcher in the east and only present during breeding season (April to September). Males arrive first; scope out the territory; then, females join in nest site selection. After sharing building tasks, incubation and feeding of offspring, all eventually return to points south for the winter.
Bird Bits
Fun Facts: During breeding season, this species may build up to seven nests, held to the branch with spiderwebs and camouflaged with lichen and bark. They repurpose materials from old nests to make new ones.
Habitat: broadleaf and mixed forests, along the edges of habitats
Conservation Note: widespread but not abundant, numbers appear to be stable
ABOUT THIS SERIES:
“Birds of the Blue Ridge” showcases frequently seen and rare birds across the southern Appalachian region. For over three decades, Angela Minor has traveled with binoculars and field guides across the continental U.S., Alaska, the Caribbean, and seven European countries. She is a travel and nature freelance writer for several regional and national print magazines, and also created and authored the state park birding series for Bird Watcher’s Digest.
Read More by Angela Minor: BlueRidgeCountry.com/AngelaMinor