4.25 inches long. The Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher is a very small active bird with a thin bill. It has blue-gray upperparts and whitish underparts. There is a bold white eye ring. The tail is long and black with white outer tail feathers. The male has a black eyebrow.
The Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher is a somewhat common summer breeding bird that can be seen anywhere throughout the Forest. It arrives in mid April and leaves by early September.
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher frequently fans its tail showing the white outer edges. It also flicks its tail from side to side. They are active feeders that usually glean insects off foliage near the ends of branches. Populations of this species have increased over the past 25 years and expanded northward. The call which is often given is a question-like “pwee”.
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