Credit: Julio Mulero
North American field guide
California Gnatcatcher
Polioptila californica
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Identification
Field notes
11 cm (4-5") Southeastern California and Baja California. Sagebrush mesas, dry coastal slopes.
Similar to, but darker and browner than, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and was once considered only a subspecies of this bird. However, it has an indistinct eye ring, gray underparts and almost all black under the tail and a different voice.
Song: kitten-like "mew" notes.
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California Gnatcatcher
Credit: siddsvidsWhere it lives
Distribution map
Source legend · original intervals
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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant · 1 rule
These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.
California Gnatcatcher
1 ruleRule 1 15 criteria · confidence 3
- Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?
- No · Unknown
- What colour were the WINGS ?
- Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What SIZE was the TAIL ?
- Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
- What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
- None · Unknown
- What colour was the TAIL ?
- Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BELLY ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and slender · Downcurved · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
- What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
- Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
- WHERE was the bird seen ?
- Southwestern United States