The black-tailed gnatcatcher is a small, insectivorous bird which ranges throughout the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is nonmigratory and found in arid desert areas year-round.
Region
Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts
Typical Environment
Occurs throughout the arid scrub and thorn habitats of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Favors creosote bush flats, mesquite and acacia thornscrub, saguaro–palo verde desert, and desert washes. Also uses desert riparian edges and semi-urban areas with native desert landscaping. It typically stays in low, open shrubs where it can glean insects from foliage and twigs.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1600 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This tiny desert songbird is best told from similar gnatcatchers by its largely black tail with narrow white edges, which looks mostly dark from below. Breeding males show a black cap, unlike the blue-gray gnatcatcher’s small black forehead patch. Pairs maintain territories year-round and often nest low in thorny shrubs. It is well adapted to heat, foraging in shaded microhabitats during the hottest hours.
Temperament
restless and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen as pairs or small family groups that keep close contact with soft calls while moving through low shrubs. Pairs hold territories year-round and build a small, cup-shaped nest in thorny vegetation. They may raise multiple broods in a season when conditions permit.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a simple, buzzy series of high, thin phrases interspersed with scolding notes. Calls include sharp, nasal, and wheezy chips used constantly while foraging.
