WESTERN BIRDS Gnatcatcher 



GENUS POLIOPTILA: BLACK-TAILED 

 GNATCATCHER. 



Black-tailed Gnatcatcher: PoUoptila calif ornica. 

 SUBFAMILY— GNATCATCHERS. 



The Black-tailed Gnatcatcher is found, locally, on the 

 bushy mesas, washes, and foothills from Ventura County, 

 California, south along the Pacific Coast to Lower 

 California. 



This bird differs from the Western in having a black 

 cap, being darker gray above and below, and in having 

 the outer tail feather with outer weh black, edged with 

 white, as well as a white spot at tip of inner shaft. The 

 female lacks the black crown, but the white spot on 

 tip of inner shaft will help distinguish her from West- 

 ern, if one be fortunate enough to see it. 



One cannot help wondering just why this bird was 

 not called black-capped instead of tailed, since the other 

 species also have black appendages. 



These midgets are not so abundant as the Western, 

 but they are similar in habits and easy to identify, 



Mrs. E. J. Saunders, of Whittier, California, wrote con- 

 cerning a nest found near her home: "It was built in a 

 greasewood bush not more than three feet from the 

 ground. The bush grew on the south slope of an arroyo, 

 or the lower end of a small canyon, that extends up into 

 the hills east of Whittier. There is a dug road along 

 the side of the arroyo, or canyon, and the nest was about 

 level with the wheel-tracks of the road, and not more 

 than eight feet from the tracks. I first saw the Black- 

 tailed on April 18th. I had never seen them here before. 

 On April 22nd we found the nest containing young birds. 

 It was a very beautiful nest, firmly built of fine ma- 

 terial." 



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