| Black-capped gnatcatcher | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Polioptilidae |
| Genus: | Polioptila |
| Species: | P. nigriceps |
| Binomial name | |
| Polioptila nigriceps Baird, 1864 | |
 | |
The black-capped gnatcatcher (Polioptila nigriceps) is a small songbird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Mexico and the United States. [2]
The black-capped gnatcatcher has at times been treated as conspecific with the white-lored gnatcatcher (Polioptila albiloris). Two subspecies are recognized, the nominate Polioptila nigriceps nigriceps and P. n. restricta. [3] [2]
The black-capped gnatcatcher is 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) long and weighs 5 to 8 g (0.18 to 0.28 oz). Adults are blue-gray on the upperparts with white underparts. They have a long slender bill and a long black tail with mostly white outer feathers. Males in alternate (breeding) plumage have a glossy black cap. The female's gray upperparts have less of a bluish tint but are otherwise similar to the non-breeding male. This species is very similar to the black-tailed gnatcatcher (P. melanura). [3]
The nominate black-capped gnatcatcher is found in western Mexico from central Sinaloa south to Colima. P. n. restricta is found mostly in western Mexico from eastern Sonora south to northern Sinaloa. It has occasionally nested just across the U.S. border in the Madrean sky islands area of southernmost Arizona. In the northern part of its range it inhabits mesquite thickets near riparian corridors. To the south it inhabits thorn scrub and arid deciduous woodlands. In elevation it occurs mostly below 500 m (1,600 ft). The species is primarily non-migratory, though the northernmost birds might move south after breeding. [3]
The black-capped gnatcatcher's diet has not been documented. It is assumed to be arthropods like the diets of other gnatcatchers. They forage actively in trees or shrubs, gleaning foliage and sometimes sallying to catch insects. [3]
The black-capped gnatcatcher's breeding season spans from March to June, with the last fledging in July. The nest is a small cup constructed of twigs cemented with spider silk, lined with softer material, and placed on small branches of a low tree or shrub. The clutch size is four. Parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) has been observered in Jalisco. [3]
The black-capped gnatcatcher's song is complex and rambling . It also has a "mewing" call that is sometimes repeated . [3]
The IUCN has assessed the black-capped gnatcatcher as being of Least Concern. [1] However, "Both races [are] restricted to ecoregions considered to be at serious risk due to agriculture and cattle grazing." [3]
The blue-gray gnatcatcher(Polioptila caerulea) is a very small songbird native to North America.
The Iquitos gnatcatcher is a bird in the family Polioptilidae. It was first described in 2005. It is known only from the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve, west of Iquitos, Peru.
The California gnatcatcher is a small 10.8 cm (4.3 in) long insectivorous bird which frequents dense coastal sage scrub growth. This species was recently split from the similar black-tailed gnatcatcher of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. This bird is often solitary, but joins with other birds in winter flocks.
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.
The tropical gnatcatcher is a small active insectivorous songbird, which is a resident species throughout a large part of northern South America. It was formerly considered as conspecific with the white-browed gnatcatcher.
The golden-crowned emerald is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to western Mexico.
The black-crowned sparrow-lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found across northern Africa from Mauritania through the Middle East to north-western India. Its natural habitat is dry savanna.
The white-lored gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
Polioptila is a genus of small insectivorous birds in the family Polioptilidae. They are found in North and South America.
The masked gnatcatcher is a small songbird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The Guianan gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
The creamy-bellied gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
The Cuban gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae, the gnatcatchers. It is endemic to Cuba.
The slate-throated gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.
The Sinaloa wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico, with almost annual sightings in the United States, in Arizona.
The Rio Negro gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is endemic to Brazil.
The Para gnatcatcher or Klages's gnatcatcher, is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is endemic to Brazil.
The Inambari gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is endemic to Brazil.
The Yucatan gnatcatcher is a species of bird in the family Polioptilidae. It is endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.
The coastal California gnatcatcher is a small non-migratory songbird. The coastal California gnatcatcher is the northernmost subspecies of the California gnatcatcher. It lives in and around coastal sage scrub. This songbird has black, gray, and white feathers, and eats mainly insects. It often lives alone but joins with other birds in winter groups. Its call sounds like a kitten meowing, a rising and falling zeeeeer, zeeeeer.
