In spite of its name, the blue-gray gnatcatcher rarely dines on gnats. It does, however, consume a variety of insects, spiders, and other invertebrates.

       Often blue-gray gnatcatchers locate food by standing on a twig and moving its tail sideways.  The movement of the tail often results in hidden insects moving just enough for the tiny bird to spot them.

       If a blue-gray gnatcatcher captures a large insect, the bird plucks the insect’s wings off before swallowing it.

       A couple of days ago I heard my first blue-gray gnatcatcher of the year singing from the canopy of a tree in my backyard.  Since blue-gray catchers often nest in my backyard I hope a pair these tiny birds (4.5 inches long) will do so this year. If they do, I will be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of this backyard neighbor throughout the remainder of the spring and summer.

       If you are not familiar with the bird’s song, open the MERLIN bird identification App on your smart phone and listen to its call.  Once you hear it, I suspect you might say, “I have heard this song before but did not know it was sung by a blue-gray gnatcatcher.