Photo: Dawn Beattie from Morro Bay, CA, USA / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) is a member of the Polioptilidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 5.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Polioptilidae Gnatcatchers
- Genus Polioptila
- Species caerulea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 5.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Polioptilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Blue-grey Gnatcatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Blue-grey Gnatcatcher is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) is a species of bird in the Polioptilidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA se Canada to Nicaragua.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 5.8 g, with a wing length of about 5.1 cm and a tail of around 4.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 6.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-grey Gnatcatcher?
The Blue-grey Gnatcatcher is a very small bird that weighs around 5.8 g.
Where does the Blue-grey Gnatcatcher live?
The Blue-grey Gnatcatcher is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA se Canada to Nicaragua, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Blue-grey Gnatcatcher belong to?
The Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) belongs to the Polioptilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Blue-grey Gnatcatcher eat?
The Blue-grey Gnatcatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Blue-grey Gnatcatcher migrate?
The Blue-grey Gnatcatcher is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Blue-grey Gnatcatcher endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Blue-grey Gnatcatcher make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-grey Gnatcatcher — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Blue-grey Gnatcatcher's range?
The Blue-grey Gnatcatcher has a mapped global range of about 6.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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