The Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (Polioptila melanura) is a small, active songbird that is resident year-round in Arizona’s low desert regions. It favors arid habitats with creosote bush, mesquite, palo verde, and other desert scrub, where its restless movements and high, thin calls reveal its presence. Both sexes are gray overall, but males show a distinctive black cap in breeding season, while both sexes have the diagnostic long black tail with white outer edges. Unlike the similar Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea), which is more common in woodlands and riparian areas, the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher is closely tied to Sonoran Desert scrub and does not migrate out of the state. Their tiny cup nests, often hidden in thorny shrubs, are constructed of plant fibers and spider webs.
