Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

I’m a tiny grey bird and I almost never sit still. Instead of eating your seed at feeders, I prefer to find my own insects, thank you very much. Look for me dodging in and out of trees and shrubs. I’m in Florida year-round, but I’m much easier to find in winter, when my northern buddies come to visit.

Most Likely Found: In the marsh, In the treetops, In your backyard

When: Year-Round

Where I've photographed: Circle B Bar Reserve, Cox Road Kingbird Roost (Polk), Lake Apopka, Lake Hancock Outfall Wetlands, Oakland Nature Preserve, Orlando Wetlands, PEAR Park

Read more: Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher at Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Ebird: Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher eBird range


I have written 43 posts including a photo of a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Yellow Morning at Lake Apopka

September 28, 2021 - Tiny Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are year-round residents in Central Florida, but they are much easier to spot in the cooler months.... Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Birds and Berries at ONP

December 17, 2019 - Pine Warbler House Finch on Beautyberry Blue-gray Gnatcatcher A pair of Red-shouldered Hawks kept an eye on me from a nearby tree.... Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Migrant Blue-gray Gnatcatchers

April 15, 2017 - A week or so ago, a pair of migrant Blue-gray Gnatcatchers flew in and stayed for a couple of days.... Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are very quick, animated little birds.... Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Little Birds and Blooms at Oakland Nature Preserve

March 14, 2017 -  I know the "birdy-birders" must have thought I was crazy, with my big lens and binoculars, photographing Yellow-rumps and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers when there was a Golden-crowned Kinglet in the vicinity....  A couple of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were out bug-hunting also.... I was on the lookout for Blue-gray Gnatcatchers with the black…... Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

There’s No Place Like Home

March 4, 2017 - We don't often have Blue-gray Gnatcatchers in our backyard, so when I heard the calls of one, I quickly started focusing my camera on him.... Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Western Kingbird and More

February 14, 2015 - :( As my dad and I stood watching the kingbirds, a small Blue-gray Gnatcatcher hopped around in the tree right in front of us.... Read more

I Love This Time of Year at Circle B!

October 24, 2011 - Bird Species List (29 total): American Coot, Anhinga, Bald Eagle, Baltimore Oriole, Black-Bellied Whistling Duck, Blue Jay, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-Winged Teal, Boat-tailed Grackle, Common Gallinule, Common Yellowthroat, Double-Crested Cormorant, Eastern Phoebe, Glossy Ibis, Gray Catbird, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, House Wren, Indigo Bunting, Little Blue Heron, Palm Warbler, Purple…... Read more

Redstarts and Warblers and Buntings, Oh My!

October 1, 2011 - We heard Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers all over the place.  They are so cute!  I'm glad that they are back.  For the most part they are staying high in the trees now.  In a few weeks, they will start to come lower into the vegetation on the sides of the trail.  Then…... Read more

Guess Who I Heard This Morning?

August 20, 2011 - I was out on the porch with the cats when we heard the unmistakable sound of a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher.... Although they are common, Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers are some of my favorite birds to photograph.... Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (from CBBR last year)... Read more

My First Orange-Crowned Warbler at the Circle B Bar Reserve

January 30, 2011 - Lone Feather on the Lake As Dyeyo and I walked the Alligator Alley trail, a bunch of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers and Palm Warblers flitted from branch to branch in the trees right in front of us.... I think you can tell whether a person is primarily a birder or a photographer…... Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Cold Sunset at Oakland Nature Preserve

December 27, 2010 - Maybe I'm just very spoiled by Circle B, but Oakland doesn't seem to have as many birds as it used to.  We used to see dozens of Ospreys sitting high in the trees, usually with fish.  We didn't see a single one today.  But we did see little birds, especially…... Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

What’s Going On Up There?

December 17, 2010 - Turkey Vultures The bushes on the edges of the paths have died back, due to the recent cold weather.  It makes it easier to spot the little birds hopping around in the brush.  The Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers stand out nicely with their gray feathers against the brown bushes.  They are so…... Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Chased by an Otter at the Circle B Bar Reserve

December 4, 2010 - Palm Warblers and Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers called to each other and hopped around from tree to tree.... Mottled Ducks Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers called to me from almost every tree.... Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher This White-Eyed Vireo moved along the trail with me, staying just a bush or two ahead of the camera.... Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Windy Morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve

November 7, 2010 - Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks (Adults) Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks (Juveniles) There were little birds in the trees, like Palm Warblers and Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers.... Species list: Anhinga, American Coot, American Crow, Bald Eagle, Black-Bellied Whistling Duck, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Cardinal, Common Moorhen, Common Yellowthroat, Double-Crested Cormorant, Eastern Phoebe, House Wren, Glossy Ibis, Gray Catbird,…... Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

The Coots have Returned to the Circle B Bar Reserve

October 17, 2010 - Eastern Phoebe Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers are everywhere now.... Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher Our regular route has again become Heron Hideout to Marsh Rabbit Run to Wading Bird Way, now that Marsh Rabbit Run is open (yay!!) We were to the first set of dead oak trees on Marsh Rabbit Run when we noticed…... Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Fill Flash in the Outdoors

October 13, 2010 - Palm Warbler (no flash) Palm Warbler (flash) Flash can also illuminate a bird high in a tree: Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (no flash) Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (flash)... Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

A Perfect Morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve

October 3, 2010 - Wood Ducks Lots of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers greeted us as we turned onto Marsh Rabbit Run.... I laughed so hard when I saw this shot: Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher Then I saw this shot and got really excited.... Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher Then finally one hopped into the bush right in front of me.... Read more

Circle B Migrants

September 19, 2010 - ...I felt like playing with Photoshop today, so I made another warbler and migrant bird collage. These little birds are usually high in the oak canopies, and it’s hard to get great pictures of them. They also hop around really fast. You come home with a stiff neck and then squint at your pictures, asking […] Read more

Migrants Making their Way to Circle B

August 28, 2010 - Juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron As we turned onto Alligator Alley, determined to brave the mosquitoes in hopes of seeing Wood Storks, we were rewarded by seeing our first warbles of the season!  First we heard a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, then we spied him hopping around in the top of a tree....…... Read more

Limpkins feasting on apple snails

February 7, 2010 - Eastern Phoebe The blue-gray gnatcatchers were all over the dead tree in the middle of Marsh Rabbit Run.  It's fun to try to photograph them up close.  They are so fearless of people, sometimes they will just fly right up to you.  I tried to catch one doing its little…... Read more

Where are all the birds?

November 28, 2009 - ...We’re starting to see a few more birds in the yard, but not as many as usual, and no goldfinches yet. There have been a couple of new house finches (I think the darker red ones are migratory…I never see such bright red guys in the summertime), some brown-headed cowbirds and red-winged blackbirds, the yellow-throated […] Read more

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Cloudy day at Circle B Bar Reserve

November 28, 2009 - Raccoon (I wonder who thought who was funnier: us, watching the raccoon jump between the branches, or the raccoon, watching us strain our necks with cameras, trying to get a picture of him!) As we walked along, we came across some bushes that were filled with little blue-gray gnatcatchers.  They…... Read more

Bird-watching at Oakland Nature Preserve

January 13, 2008 - Birds Seen Today - Painted Bunting, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler, Black and White Warbler, American Kestrel, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Gray Catbird, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Pheobe, Osprey, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Red-Wing Blackbird Red-Shouldered Hawk Great Blue Heron Yellow-Rumped Warbler Yellow-Throated Warbler Downy…... Read more

Bird-watching at Oakland Nature Preserve

December 2, 2007 - Birds Seen Today - Painted Bunting, Palm Warbler, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, American Kestrel, Hermit Thrush, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Gray Catbird, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Red-Wing Blackbird American Kestrel Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher... Read more