Gnatcatcher (Black-tailed)

The Black-tailed Gnatcatcher is a non-migratory bird that lives in pairs throughout the entire year. They forage among low shrubs and trees for small insects and spiders. Black-tailed Gnatcatchers are true desert birds, thriving where other bird life is sparse.

The male and female usually forage within a few yards of each other. Being together may give them a heightened need to communicate and have a surprising variety of call notes

Canopy height appears to be important for foraging; they spend at least 75% of their time in brush less than 9 feet high.

Photographed in the wild, Tucson, AZ