The California Gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica, is a small 10.8 cm (4.25 inches) long insectivorous bird which frequents dense coastal sage scrub

Coastal sage scrub

Coastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...

 growth. This species was recently split from the similar Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

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.-Taxonomy:The Black-tailed Gnatcatcher was described by...

 of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts.

Appearance

The male California Gnatcatcher is dusky gray overall, distinguished only by its black crown and thin black beak. It has a long, thin black tail with narrow white tips and edges on the underside of the tail feathers. However, the male loses its plumage colors by winter, and obtains a plumage color like the females. The female is similar to the male, but with a blue-gray instead of a black crown.

In its range from coastal Southern California

Southern California

Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

 south through Baja California

Baja California Peninsula

The Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...

 and Baja California Sur

Baja California Sur

Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises...

, this inconspicuous non-migratory

Bird migration

Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...

 resident is most often seen flitting hastily into undergrowth, or heard giving its call, which sounds like a kitten's mew (a rising and falling zeeeeer, zeeeeer).

Habitat

In the northern part of its range (Southern California) this species, Polioptila californica, was listed as Threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...

 in 1993 due to increasing development in its habitat, coastal sage scrub (current loss of coastal sage scrub in U.S is estimated at 70 to 90 percent (Atwood 1991, http://www.prbo.org/calpif/htmldocs/species/scrub/california_gnatcatcher.html)). Critical Habitat

Critical habitat

Critical habitat is a habitat area essential to the conservation of a listed species, though the area need not actually be occupied by the species at the time it is designated. This is a specific term and designation within the U.S...

 designation under the Endangered Species Act

Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...

 is on hold pending court-ordered review. This species is especially vulnerable as a metapopulation due to its small populations in a limited habitat often live in the prime land to be developed for housing and commerce that can be easily isolated and reduced in size.

Though some of its habitat has been saved in national forests and state park

State park

State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...

s, its population has been severely fragmented. There are, however, ongoing efforts to preserve more open land in Southern California to help ensure that this species will not disappear from its former range. California Gnatcatchers are a focal species in many regional habitat conservation planning efforts.

Ecology and reproduction

Monogamous pairs care for their brood

Offspring

In biology, offspring is the product of reproduction, of a new organism produced by one or more parents.Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way...

 of 3-5 eggs in cone-shaped nests; Brown-headed cowbirds are parasites on their nests, laying eggs in their nests.

External links

• California Gnatcatcher videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• California Gnatcatcher photo gallery VIREO