Black Tailed Gnatcatcher

YouTube Video By: Amanda Flores WHO AM I?   I am a bird that is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. There are many other kinds of gnatcatcher birds so I can be easily confused with those. I am a small and very active bird and my technical name is Polioptila melanura. WHERE DO I LIVE? Black-tailed Gnatcatcher: Fairly common resident of arid  scrub and washes of the American southwest and central and northern Mexico.  The Black-tailed Gnatcatcher prefers nesting and foraging in densely lined arroyos and washes dominated by creosote bush and salt bush. Black-tailed Gnatcatchers are very sensitive to human disturbances, with populations quickly declining in areas where urbanization, irrigated agriculture, or intensive off-highway v ehicle use occur. WHAT DO I EAT? “Black-tailed Gnatcatchers are primarily insectivorous, but will occasionally eat vegetable matter. Euriciform larvae were the predominant prey type along the lower Colorado River (Laudenslayer 1981). Other prey items include coleopterans, hemipterans, larval lepidopterons, wasps (Sphecidae), ants (Formicidae), flies (Diptera), moths (Lepidoptera), small grasshoppers (Orthoptera), insect eggs, and spiders (Arachnida) (Farquhar 2002).” HOW DO I LOOK? Black-tailed Gnatcatcher: Medium gnatcatcher with black cap, blue-gray upperparts, black tail, and pale gray underparts. The bill is short and black. Black tail is edged with white; underside of tail appears mostly black with large white spots near tip when closed. Black legs and feet. HOW DO I REPRODUCE?   Black-tailed Gnatcatchers are considered to be monogamous (Ehrlich et al. 1988). They typically have 3-5 eggs and both males and females are responsible for taking responsibility. They both take turns in finding food for the babies and staying with them in the nest. FUN FACT ABOUT ME? Canopy height appears to be important for foraging; they spend at least 75% of their time in brush less than 9 feet high. The Black-tailed Gnatcatcher is a nonmigratory bird that lives in pairs throughout the entire year. The male and female usually forage within a few yards of each other. This togetherness may give them a heightened need to communicate—they have a surprising variety of call notes. Unlike the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, which it closely resembles, it rarely catches insects in midair. It prefers to forage on thorn trees. WHERE DID YOU FIND INFORMATION ABOUT ME? References  Gnatcatcher Info http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/infocenter/i7520id.html This was a wonderful informative site that provided many tips and facts on the Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher. Great Gnatcatcher Info http://www.bird-friends.com/BirdPage.php?name=Black-Tailed%20Gnatcatcher This was a great site that had so many pictures and facts about the Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher. It is a fun and creative site that really makes the readers interested in the information. PowerPoint Presentation on the Black Tailed Gnatcatcher K-1 The students will create a powerpoint with pictures and small captions of the Black Tailed Gnatcatcher 3-4 slides Get creative 2nd The students will create a powerpoint with pictures and captions on the Black Tailed Gnatcatcher 6-7 slides Include information on Where they live What they eat What they look like Get creative 3rd The students will create a powerpoint with pictures and paragraphs on the Black Tailed Gnatcatcher 8+ slides Include a paragraph for the following Where they live What they eat What they look like Fun and interesting facts Name some other wildlife birds and tell what their similarities and differences are. Be creative Use complete sentences and be sure to check your spelling and punctuation. Chain Fruit Cholla